The cyber threat is real, said Vice Commander of the Air Force Space Command Maj. Gen. Michael J. Basla. And the military services, aided by new cybersecurity training programs, must be ready to defend the United States on the digital battlefield.
Basla, who operates out of Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado spoke at a âDOD Liveâ bloggersâ roundtable Nov. 8.
âThereâs a great threat to American security out there in the cyberspace domain, and it’s real, it’s significant, it’s persistent, and we are under attack every day,â he said. âThe defense of our networks is essential for us to conduct all kinds of day-to-day activities — in the commercial sector, in the public sector, in the military sector.â
The Air Force and all of the military services must be ready to âcarry out anything our government might ask us to do in the defense of our networks,â Basla added.
Being prepared begins with teaching new officers and Air Force recruits how to fight on the digital battlefield, he said.
He said he sees more people interested in the program, especially younger recruits who have grown up with computers in the digital age.
âThere’s a great deal of interest, I will tell you, and that’s the encouraging thing,â he said. Potential cyber Air Force recruits âwant to understand what their responsibilities will be, and how they can get involved,â he added. âAnd so I’m encouraged about that.â