Joint Task Force-Global Network Operations (JTF-GNO) was a subordinate command of
United States Strategic Command
United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands in the United States Department of Defense. Headquartered at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, USSTRATCOM is responsible for strategic nuclear deterre ...
whose mission was to: direct the operation and defense of the
Global Information Grid
The Global Information Grid (GIG) is a network of information transmission and processing maintained by the United States Department of Defense. More descriptively, it is a worldwide network of information transmission, of associated processes, a ...
(GIG) across strategic, operational, and tactical boundaries in support of the
US Department of Defense's full spectrum of war fighting, intelligence, and business operations.
The Task Force's operations were moved to
Fort Meade
Fort George G. Meade is a United States Army installation located in Maryland, that includes the Defense Information School, the Defense Media Activity, the United States Army Field Band, and the headquarters of United States Cyber Command, the ...
,
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to it ...
, in April 2010 as part of decisions reached under the 2005
Base Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) is a process by a United States federal government commission to increase United States Department of Defense efficiency by coordinating the realignment and closure of military installations following the end o ...
process. JTF-GNO was dissolved and incorporated within the
United States Cyber Command
United States Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the United States Department of Defense (DoD). It unifies the direction of cyberspace operations, strengthens DoD cyberspace capabilities, and integr ...
on September 7, 2010.
Primary responsibilities
* Identifies and resolves
computer security anomalies that affect the GIG's ability to support
Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) elements,
Joint Staff
The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) is the body of the most senior uniformed leaders within the United States Department of Defense, that advises the president of the United States, the secretary of defense, the Homeland Security Council and the ...
, Supported
Combatant Commands
A unified combatant command (CCMD), also referred to as a combatant command, is a joint military command of the United States Department of Defense that is composed of units from two or more service branches of the United States Armed Forces, an ...
and the
"warfighter".
* Identifies significant threats to the GIG. Develop, disseminate and implement countermeasures to these threats in a timely manner via
Information Assurance Vulnerability Messages (IAVM)
* Assesses the incidents reported by
Combatant Command
A unified combatant command (CCMD), also referred to as a combatant command, is a joint military command of the United States Department of Defense that is composed of units from two or more service branches of the United States Armed Forces, an ...
,
service
Service may refer to:
Activities
* Administrative service, a required part of the workload of university faculty
* Civil service, the body of employees of a government
* Community service, volunteer service for the benefit of a community or a p ...
, and
agency (CC/S/A)
computer network defense (CND) and Regions individually and cumulatively for their impact on the "warfighter’s" ability to carry out current and future missions.
* Coordinates the response actions taken by the CC/S/A CND service providers (CNDSP).
* Identifies emerging technologies and their associated threats in order to integrate migrations and response actions into current CND posture.
History
In 1998 the
Department of Defense Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to:
Current departments of defence
* Department of Defence (Australia)
* Department of National Defence (Canada)
* Department of Defence (Ireland)
* Department of National Defense (Philippi ...
recognized a growing cyber threat and in response created the Joint Task Force-Computer Network Defense (JTF-CND), which achieved initial operational capability on 30 December 1998 and full operational capability by June 1999.
In the fall of 2000, the JTF-CND assumed responsibility for the Do
computer network attack missionand became the Joint Task Force—Computer Network Operations (JTF-CNO). In October 2002, the new Unified Command Plan, Change 2, re-aligned JTF-CNO under the
United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM)
The JTF-CNO began its largest and most comprehensive transformation in April 2004 when the Commander of
US Strategic Command
United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands in the United States Department of Defense. Headquartered at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, USSTRATCOM is responsible for strategic nuclear deterre ...
approved the Joint Concept of Operations for
GIG
Gig or GIG may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Gig'' (Circle Jerks album) (1992)
* ''Gig'' (Northern Pikes album) (1993)
* ''The Gig'', a 1985 film written and directed by Frank D. Gilroy
* GIG, a character in ''Hot Wheels AcceleRacers'' ...
Network Operations. This “
NetOps NetOps is defined as the operational framework consisting of three essential tasks, Situational Awareness (SA), and Command & Control (C2) that the Commander (CDR) of US Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), in coordination with DoD and Global NetOps Co ...
CONOPS” provided the common framework and command and control structure to conduct the USSTRATCOM Unified Command Plan-assigned mission of Global
Network Operations, combining the disciplines of enterprise systems and network management, network defense, and information decision management.
The
Secretary of Defense signed a delegation of authority letter on 18 June 2004, designating the Director,
DISA
Disa is the heroine of a Swedish legendary saga, which was documented by Olaus Magnus, in 1555. It is believed to be from the Middle Ages, but includes Old Norse themes.
It was elaborated by Johannes Messenius in his drama ''Disa'', which was t ...
as the new Commander of the Joint Task Force-Global Network Operations. With this designation, the new command assumed the responsibility for directing the operation and defense of the
GIG
Gig or GIG may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Gig'' (Circle Jerks album) (1992)
* ''Gig'' (Northern Pikes album) (1993)
* ''The Gig'', a 1985 film written and directed by Frank D. Gilroy
* GIG, a character in ''Hot Wheels AcceleRacers'' ...
.
This transformation enhanced the JTF GNO's mission and objectives was crucial in pushing towards the Joint Vision 2020 Objectives and the evolving concept of Net-Centricity.
Hackers
A hacker is a person skilled in information technology who uses their technical knowledge to achieve a goal or overcome an obstacle, within a computerized system by non-standard means. Though the term ''hacker'' has become associated in popu ...
attempted to enter
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national secur ...
networks nearly 75,000 times in 2004.
Wired.com
/ref>
Former operations
The JTF-GNO functions in accordance with Unified Command Plan 2002 (Change 2) and the Joint Concept of Operations for GIG NetOps, assuring Global Information Superiority by achieving the three assurances outlined in the Joint Concept of Operations for GIG NetOps: Assured System and Network Availability, Assured Information Protection, and Assured Information Delivery.
The Task Force has a number of associated service components, including the 1st Information Operations Command (Land)
The 1st Information Operations Command (Land), formerly the Land Information Warfare Activity Information Dominance Center (LIWA/IDC), is an information operations unit under the operational control of U.S. Army Cyber Command (ARCYBER) and he ...
, the affiliated United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...
formation.
Personnel
The JTF-GNO was authorized 255 positions at the height of its operations in early 2009. Lieutenant General Carroll F. Pollett was the Commander of JTF-GNO during its disestablishment.
References
Bibliography
*Ackerman, Robert K. (August 2005). �
Keeping ahead of cyberfoes remains the key to protecting information technology assets
” Signal Magazine
*Brooks, Peter. (August 30, 2005). �
The Art of (Cyber) War
” The Heritage Foundation
External links
Joint Task Force-Global Network Operations (JTF-GNO)
(restricted access)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Joint Task Force - Global Network Operations
Military units and formations established in 2004
United States Strategic Command
Joint task forces of the United States Armed Forces
Net-centric