President Obama has nominated National Security Agency director Lt. Gen. Keith Alexander to be promoted to the rank of general and assigned as commander of the new United States Cyber Command.

The Cyber Command will be in charge of cyberwarfare and the security of military networks. It will be based in Ft. Meade, Md., where the National Security Agency is also headquartered, and will be part of the U.S. Strategic Command.

 

 

In testimony to the House Armed Services Committee earlier this year, Alexander laid out several priorities for military cybersecurity, including preventing unauthorized access, cybersecurity training, consistency in cybersecurity management and the use of "automated security protocols." He also mentioned the importance of working with the nation's allies and partners in industry on certain cybersecurity issues.