- Elsewhere in the hearing John Sherman called attention to a growing concern at the Pentagon over the radio spectrum, saying “spectrum sharing” should be a DoD watchword
The Department of Defense is “well postured” to fend off any potential Chinese cyberattack deluge in the event of conflict over Taiwan, the Pentagon’s presumptive Chief Information Officer told a Congressional hearing.
“I believe DoD is well postured, based on what I know right now. That is, with any defensive mechanisms we can always improve,” DoD CIO nominee John Sherman told lawmakers.
Sherman, who currently serves as Acting DoD CIO and was previously CIO for the intelligence community, said it would also be a “top priority” of his, should he be confirmed, to work with US Cyber Command to “keep the Chinese back on their heels.”
That last comment reflects a shift in strategy in recent years by US Cyber Command, where Gen. Paul Nakasone has said his organization aims to “defend forward” and disrupt cyberattacks before they reach US networks.
Sherman’s confidence in DoD cyber defenses comes in the midst of a public debate about their effectiveness when compared with Chinese capabilities. A former high-ranking Air Force official, Nicolas Chaillan, made waves earlier this month when he told the Financial Times, among other criticisms, that some DoD defenses were at the “kindergarten level.”
Later, the Army’s chief information officer, Raj Iyer, said the characterization of US cyber deficits to China was “absolutely not true.”
The question to Sherman was last Thursday posed by Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., who described what he called a potential “fait accompli” attack by China in Taiwan. Tensions between the US and China over Taiwan have risen in recent weeks, especially in early October when China flew dozens of fighter and bomber sorties through Taiwan’s Aircraft Identification Zone (ADIZ) in several-days long show of force.
Hawley also asked if Sherman thought it was appropriate for the Pentagon to use Chinese hardware in electrical systems — a tall order to change considering China’s grip on electronics exports. Sherman said it’s an issue he’d examine if confirmed, but said, “Any Chinese hardware or software shouldn’t be near our systems is my belief.”
Elsewhere in the hearing Sherman called attention to a growing concern at the Pentagon over the electromagnetic spectrum and how it should be allocated between the military and commercial interests.
“Spectrum sharing must be our watchword going forward,” he said, connecting the value of spectrum to “assured positioning, navigation, and timing” (APNT) — how soldiers, for instance, can tell exactly where they are on the planet. (In a separate talk today, outgoing Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. John Hyten told reporters DoD has begun focusing on electromagnetic spectrum issues after years of having taken “our eye off the ball.”)
Sherman mentioned the controversial case of Ligado, a private company allowed to use a portion of the radio spectrum in the L-band frequency. That range, Sherman said, was dangerously close to GPS, representing “an unacceptable threat to bleed over in that spectrum” — an echo of long-held DoD concerns.
Sherman said that if confirmed, he would work with the executive branch and appropriate congressional committees to “rectify that issue to ensure our PNT capabilities for our forces.”
