A year ago, a hunt forward 10-member team of the U.S. Cyber Command’s Cyber National Mission Force arrived in Kyiv, Ukraine.
The Marine Corps major leading that team called back and she said, “We’re gonna be here for a bit,” said Army Gen. Paul M. Nakasone, commander, U.S. Cyber Command and director, National Security Agency/chief, Central Security Service.
Nakasone spoke on a panel today at the Reagan National Defense Forum at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.
That team grew from 10 to 39 people, working with Ukraine to strengthen its cyber defenses and provide reassurance. It paid off big-time as Russia launched its invasion, he said.
The lesson: presence, persistence and the value of partnerships is what matters most, he said.
Photo By: Marine Corps Cpl. Amelia Kang
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Over the last few decades, America’s ability to secure against cyberattacks has improved pretty dramatically, he added.
“You’re never going to be perfect, but you can be highly resilient and you can be at a point where you if you get an unexpected attack, you can recover,” Kendall said.
When Russia attacked, Ukraine was not able to entirely defeat the cyber threat but they were able to block a lot of its impact, he said.