The Government Accountability Office has released a report detailing the potential of overlapping or redundant roles within a network of nearly 500 organizations in the Department of Defense’s cyberspace operations.
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DOD Cyberspace Structure
GAO mentions in its report published Wednesday that the DOD’s cyberspace operations workforce includes 440 organizations with 61,000 military and civilian employees, as well as 9,500 contractors. The agency also identified around 70 organizations and 3,400 personnel performing supporting roles.
Most of these organizations are aligned with the U.S. Cyber Command or retained by various military services. They perform a variety of functions including offensive, defensive and DOD Information Network operations.
GAO Identifies Possible Overlapping Functions
GAO noted the potential for redundancy and inefficiency among multiple organizations, particularly within the supporting organizations and personnel in areas such as budgeting, policy and training. It particularly mentioned similar cyberspace training courses provided by organizations and the administration of various cybersecurity service providers. The agency pointed out that some overlaps were intentional and necessary, while the others can result in wasted funds.
To address this issue, GAO recommended that the DOD evaluate the feasibility of consolidating similar training courses to establish a joint training model. The agency also urged the DOD to explore opportunities to combine cybersecurity service providers to enhance mission effectiveness.
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