Latest news with #CyberCommand
Reuters
a day ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Top Pentagon spy pick rejected by White House, Politico reports
June 20 (Reuters) - The White House recently rejected the Pentagon's pick to head the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command, Politico reported on Friday, citing three people familiar with the move. It is not clear why the White House decided not to move forward with Army Lieutenant General Richard Angle's nomination, Politico reported.
The Independent
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
‘You're either feckless or complicit!' Hegseth refuses to say if Laura Loomer was consulted on General Haugh firing
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was accused of being either 'feckless or complicit' for firing U.S. Cyber Command head Gen. Timothy Haugh at the urging of far-right activist Laura Loomer, a rabid supporter of Donald Trump who has the ear of the president. Haugh, an Air Force general, was removed from his dual role in charge of U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency back in April. Loomer, a social media influencer, claimed credit for the dismissal because Haugh wasn't considered sufficiently loyal to Trump. Hegseth, appearing in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee, was asked by Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) what, if any, part Loomer played in the decision to fire the general. The defense secretary evaded an answer, saying he does not discuss who he has spoken to about such decisions, before telling the senator her time was up. This provoked a furious response from Rosen, who fired back, 'It is not up to you to tell me when my time is up. 'You are either feckless or complicit. You're not in control of your department. I don't appreciate the smirk. Sir, you are the secretary of defense.'
The Sun
02-06-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Five terrifying ways enemies would hit Britain if it goes to war laid bare in official report
BRITAIN would get blitzed with long-range drones, ballistic and cruise missiles if it had to fight a war this year. A landmark Strategic Defence Review set out five 'methods of attack' the UK should expect if it was forced into state-on-state conflict. 11 11 11 Bases, ports and airfields in Britain and around the world be the first to get bombarded. And everything from oil rigs and subsea cables to satellites and merchant ships would also face cyber attacks and sabotage. The dossier warned: 'Based on the current way of war, if the UK were to fight a state-on-state war as part of Nato in 2025, it could expect to be subject to some or all of the following methods of attack: 'Attacks on the armed forces in the UK and overseas bases." Strategic Defence Review: Five Key Defence Pledges Up to 12 new nuclear-powered submarines to be built under the Aukust pact £15bn investment in the UK's nuclear warhead programme to maintain and modernise the deterrent New Cyber Command to be established, with £1 billion invested in digital warfare capabilities Up to 7,000 UK-built long-range weapons to be purchased, supporting 800 defence jobs More than £1.5bn in extra funding to repair and renew armed forces housing Major bases would include the Navy's three main ports at Portsmouth, Plymouth and Clyde as well as outposts around the world, such as the Diego Garcia base in the Indian Ocean and RAF Akoritiri in Cyprus. The report also warned of: 'Air and missile attack from long-rage drones, cruise and ballistic missiles, targeting military infrastructure and critical national infrastructure in the UK.' The UK has no land based missile defence systems and relies on its six Royal Navy destroyers to intercept ballistic or hypersonic missile which Russia has used to blitz Ukraine. But the government has pledged to invest £1bn in a new Iron Dome-style defence system to 'protect the homeland'. Other attacks in an all out war would include 'increased sabotage and cyber-attacks affecting on and offshore critical national infrastructure.' 11 11 11 The report warns Britain is already 'under daily attack' in the so-called grey zone, which includes cyber hacks and sabotage 'beneath the threshold of war'. It also warned the citizens to expect 'attempts to disrupt the UK economy, especially the industry that supports the armed forces, including through cyber attack, the interdiction of maritime trade, and attacks on space-based critical national infrastructure'. Finally, it warned the UK would face a massive propaganda blitz designed 'to manipulate information and undermine social cohesion and political will.' The review sets out plans to grow the Army, renew Britain's nukes and recruit up to 250,000 cadets to get the country ready for 'whole of society approach' to defence and resilience. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer warned that, 'a step change in the threats we face demands a step-change in British defence to meet them'. He added: 'We need to see the biggest shift in mindset in my lifetime to put security and defence front and centre – to make it the fundamental organising principle of government.' Vital War Chest AFTER years of Whitehall deciding that defending the nation didn't matter, the Government is right to now increase spending as part of today's Strategic Defence Review. Given massive global uncertainty, the UK should be on a war footing. Yet there are concerns that the review doesn't go far enough. There is still doubt over whether or when Labour will spend three per cent of GDP on defence. Planned submarines and weapons factories are also still decades away. Then there's Britain's appalling record on procurement which has wasted billions on dud kit. There is still a great deal more for this Government to do. 11 11 11
Russia Today
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
UK to step up cyberattacks on Russia and China
London will significantly step up offensive cyber operations against Russia and China, UK Defense Secretary John Healey announced on Thursday following the inauguration of the country's new Cyber and Electromagnetic Command. In a statement quoted by The Times, Healey claimed that 'the keyboard is now a weapon of war' and said the UK's new cyber command would coordinate both defensive and offensive operations, including hacking into enemy systems to disrupt attacks and spread of propaganda. Asked whether this would include Russia and China, Healey responded: 'Yes.' Healey's statement marks the first time a British minister has explicitly confirmed cyberattacks on other states. While UK ministers had previously confirmed cyber operations against non-state actors like Islamic State, they have not until now acknowledged attacks against other countries. The defense secretary added that more than £1 billion ($1.35 billion) has been allocated by the UK government for a 'digital targeting web' to enable real-time battlefield intelligence-sharing between troops, spy planes and satellites. Healey's comments come ahead of the publication of a strategic defense review on Monday. According to The Times, the review will stress that cyberattacks on Britain, allegedly being carried out by Russia and China, are 'threatening the foundations of the economy and daily life.' Both Moscow and Beijing have consistently denied accusations of carrying out cyberattacks against Western nations, characterizing the claims as baseless and politically motivated. Additionally, Russian officials have in recent months repeatedly raised concerns over what they describe as Western Europe's continued militarization and aggressive anti-Russian rhetoric, said to be in response to the alleged threat posed by Moscow. The Kremlin has vehemently denied having any hostile intent towards any western country, and has accused European politicians of 'irresponsibly stoking fears' to justify increased military expenditures, which Moscow had labeled an 'incitement of war on the European continent.'
Bloomberg
28-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
UK Taps Ukraine Lessons to Plow £1 Billion Into Warfare Systems
The UK will invest more than £1 billion ($1.4 billion) in a new digital targeting system to allow the country's armed forces to pinpoint and eliminate enemy targets more swiftly as part of a forthcoming revamp of Britain's defensive capabilities. In its strategic defense review, expected to be published in full next week, the UK will also set up a new Cyber and Electromagnetic Command to protect military networks against tens of thousands of cyber attacks a year and help coordinate Britain's own cyber operations, the Ministry of Defence said Thursday in a statement. The command will also lead operations to jam enemy signals to drones and missiles and help intercept military communications.
