On 23 June 2009, the Secretary of Defense directed the Commander of U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) to establish USCYBERCOM. In May 2010, General Keith Alexander outlined his views in a report for the United States House Committee on Armed Services subcommittee:
"My own view is that the only way to counteract both criminal and espionage activity online is to be proactive. If the U.S. is taking a formal approach to this, then that has to be a good thing. The Chinese are viewed as the source of a great many attacks on western infrastructure and just recently, the U.S. electrical grid. If that is determined to be an organized attack, I would want to go and take down the source of those attacks. The only problem is that the Internet, by its very nature, has no borders and if the U.S. takes on the mantle of the world's police; that might not go down so well."
Initial operational capability was attained on 21 May 2010. General Alexander was promoted to four-star rank, becoming one of 38 US Generals, and took charge of U.S. Cyber Command in a ceremony at Fort Meade that was attended by Commander of U.S. Central Command GEN David Petraeus, and Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates.
USCYBERCOM reached full operational capability on 31 October 2010.
The command assumed responsibility for several existing organizations. The Joint Task Force for Global Network Operations (JTF-GNO) and the Joint Functional Component Command for Network Warfare (JFCC-NW) were absorbed by the command.
The Defense Information Systems Agency, where JTF-GNO operated, provides technical assistance for network and information assurance to USCYBERCOM, and is moving its headquarters to Ft. Meade.
In the words of James Bamford who wrote his biography for Wired, "Alexander and the rest of the American intelligence community suffered a devastating defeat when they were surprised by the attacks on 9/11." Alexander's reaction was to order his intercept operators to begin to monitor the email and phone calls of American citizens who were unrelated to terrorist threats, including the personal calls of journalists.
In 2003, he was named deputy chief of staff for intelligence for the U.S. Army. Under his command were the units responsible for Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse in Baghdad, Iraq.
Testifying to the Senate Armed Services Committee, Alexander called the abuse "totally reprehensible" and described the perpetrators as a "group of undisciplined MP soldiers".
Mary Louise Kelly, who interviewed him later for NPR, said that because he was "outside the chain of command that oversaw interrogations in Iraq", Alexander was able to survive with his "reputation intact".
Alexander became a three-star general. In 2005, Donald Rumsfeld, secretary of defense, named him Director of the National Security Agency. There, according to Bamford, Alexander deceived the House Intelligence Committee when his agency was involved in NSA warrantless wiretapping.
Alexander was confirmed by the U.S. Senate for appointment to the rank of general on May 7, 2010 and was officially promoted to that rank in a ceremony on May 21, 2010. General Alexander assumed command of United States Cyber Command in the same ceremony that made him a four-star general.
He will deliver the keynote address at Black Hat USA in July 2013. The organizers describe Alexander as an :
"In 2010 the U.S. Senate confirmed Gen. Alexander to head U.S. Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM), as a four-star general. The establishment of USCYBERCOM both unified and strengthened the Defense Department's work to protect vital networks and ensure integration of cyber operations.
A highly regarded advocate of battlefield visualization and “data fusion” for more useful intelligence, Gen. Alexander has also led NSA/CSS since 2005. NSA/CSS gives the nation a decisive edge to make information and information technology an asset for the United States and a liability for its adversaries. It applies tools and tradecraft with creativity and agility — maintaining capabilities that exceed what others think is possible. The aim is to discover, make sense of, and securely share information at Net speed. What's more, NSA/CSS measurably improves the security of critical information systems and other operations.
At the helm, Gen. Alexander's depth of experience has made all the difference.
On the whole, he emphasizes, success is measured by how well the government collaborates with partners and customers.
“As our dependence on information networks increases, it will take a team to eliminate vulnerabilities and counter the ever-growing threats to the network. We can succeed in securing it by building strong partnerships between and within the private and public sectors, encouraging information sharing and collaboration, and creating and leveraging the technology that affords us the opportunity to secure cyberspace,” Gen. Alexander said. “Black Hat provides a great venue to have that productive dialogue by bringing together world-class researchers, technical experts, government officials, executives, and students for critical collaboration and education.”
Gen. Alexander continued, “It is my hope that in sharing some of my insights and perspectives with the information security community at Black Hat, we will continue to cultivate the information sharing and collaborative relationships needed to address the cyber threats facing global society.”
Black Hat USA will welcome Gen. Alexander to the stage on July 31, 2013. His keynote will give attendees an unmatched insider's look into the U.S. Cyber Command and the interworkings of offensive cyber strategy.
“General Alexander's role is one of the most unique in the information security field. He manages risk in ways most of us will never understand. The saying, 'walk a mile in my shoes,' will likely never apply for many of us, so hearing his story and perspective on international risk management will be both valuable and inspirational for the next generation of information security professionals,” explained Trey Ford, General Manager, Black Hat. “We are honored he is joining us this year in Las Vegas.”
Black Hat USA will take place July 27–August 1, 2013, at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas.
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