Top NSA officials leaving spy agency

[arvizo]

Apparently Admiral Rogers is a leading candidate to become the next Director of NSA.

"According to Reuters, officials said a leading candidate to replace Alexander is Vice Admiral Michael Rogers, who currently commands the U.S. Navy's 10th Fleet and U.S. Fleet Cyber Command. Like the NSA, both the 10th Fleet and Fleet Cyber Command are headquartered in Ft. Meade, Md."

http://investigations.nbcnews.com/_news ... gency?lite

[das]

This has been kicked around for about a year now, and VADM Rogers is the only name that has really come up as the obvious successor. Some people are assuming that GEN Alexander and Inglis are being "forced out" or that this is a "shakeup", but the truth is that it's been known Alexander and Inglis were retiring for some time (before the Snowden revelations), and indications are that Alexander may have ended up staying longer than he originally had planned to help manage the Snowden fallout.

VADM Rogers is already the first 3-star IW Officer (though as a Flag he is technically an IDC Officer, 1860), and if selected as DIRNSA would be the first 4-star. What will be interesting is what ultimately happens with USCYBERCOM — if it's split off as its own UCC with its own leadership. Since the only person who has really talked about that seriously is Ashton Carter, who is also leaving, it seems reasonable to believe that the next DIRNSA/CHCSS will continue to also be Commander, USCYBERCOM.

Another story:

Meet the man who could be next in line to control the NSA’s spying apparatus
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the ... apparatus/

[das]

Another story focusing on VADM Rogers:

Obama's Likely Pick for NSA Chief Is a Master Spy. It May Not Be Enough.
http://killerapps.foreignpolicy.com/pos ... _be_enough

[jitter]

While I think we all agree VADM Rogers would do great things as the DIR. What would the impact be to 10th flt? Who do you think would be picked to replace him? How would the leadership styles differ? Just a thought.

[COMEVIL]

While I think we all agree VADM Rogers would do great things as the DIR. What would the impact be to 10th flt? Who do you think would be picked to replace him? How would the leadership styles differ? Just a thought.

I think RADM Leigher would be a good pick, but I hear he is going to retire.

Then again, it could easily go back to a URL or maybe to another IDC community. Either of those routes would be depressing...

[yoshi]

I think having another designator at the very top of C10F might be ok. As long as the OPS has relevant cyber experience, thing should be ok. From what I can see, C10F focuses almost exclusively on cyber. And, given who holds, and will continue to hold, the authorities for those types of operations, C10F really is more of an operational element for NSA than for the Navy. I think an IP would be a good choice. They all have a network background are capable of letting the Navy (not just cryppies) know the relevance and effect of cyber operations to and from its own networks. I think their background (more integrated in the fleet than our IW officers, who for the most part are sequestered at the NIOCs or other less than typical Navy locales). While there is another side to cyber ops, that side is run and controlled by NSA, and logically less relevant to those service specific organizations charged with maintaining operations or operations support of that same service.

As IWs, we can tell the Navy what is going on in cyber, but we are not so good at articulating what it means to the war fighter and the war supporter (impact) as we should be. Do we know who lives on what networks in the Navy, which networks are connected to each other Afloat and ashore, what happens ashore when something like OHMS, or R Supply, or some Link flavor is affected? Don't get wrong, I think IWs involved in cyber are a great choice for the offensive side of things, but I think an IP at the Command level would more intuitively understand downstream impacts to the fleet (defensive perspective), as virtually all of their training and operations focus on cyber (networks). Cyber for IWs is a billet, maybe two over the course of 18-20 years. For the most part, almost every IP billet is focused on networks and an integral part of Navy operations (vice national side stuff).

[COMEVIL]

What is the definition of cyber again?

[arvizo]

Then again, it could easily go back to a URL or maybe to another IDC community. Either of those routes would be depressing...

Geez!
As Yoshi mentioned, IPs would be a good fit. And there are quite a few IPs doing "cyber" work.

[arvizo]

What is the definition of cyber again?

Does it help if we call it Computer Network Operations? The NSA has a good description:
http://www.nsa.gov/careers/career_fields/netopps.shtml

Cyberwar is a very real threat and could cause widespread problems. That is why the National Security Agency needs to be prepared with Computer Science professionals who are highly-skilled in Computer Network Operations. Our Computer Network Operations mission involves three major functions:

Computer Network Attack (CNA): Includes actions taken via computer networks to disrupt, deny, degrade, or destroy the information within computers and computer networks and/or the computers/networks themselves.

Computer Network Defense (CND): Includes actions taken via computer networks to protect, monitor, analyze, detect, and respond to network attacks, intrusions, disruptions, or other unauthorized actions that would compromise or cripple defense information systems and networks.

Computer Network Exploitation (CNE): Includes enabling actions and intelligence collection via computer networks that exploit data gathered from target or enemy information systems or networks.

If you would like to use your Computer Science skills in a unique and truly exciting way, apply online to NSA.

[COMEVIL]

Does it help if we call it Computer Network Operations?

No.

"Cyber" is just one element of what C10F/FCC does. And we have done a terrible job at advertising that. Naming the new organization Fleet Cyber Command didn't help. In fact, this is starting to remind me of our foray into "Information Warfare."