The Trump administration is pushing to make major adjustments to the Pentagon organizations charged with cybersecurity and signals intelligence, according to a US defense official.
The proposal, first reported by Defense One, would split the command of US Cyber Command and the National Security Agency, two organizations currently being led by the same four-star military officer.
The official said that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley and acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller are required by law to certify that certain requirements have been met before the split can happen.
A US official confirmed that Milley received the proposal from the Defense Department very late this week.
A spokesperson for Milley said the general “has not reviewed nor endorsed any proposal to split CYBERCOM and NSA.”
The defense official told CNN that the feeling within both organizations is that the current effort is being “rushed” and that doing this “rapidly or without a great deal of forethought would be unwise.”
The splitting of the NSA and Cyber Command has been long-discussed but this marks a late rush to do so by the outgoing administration.
This is a breaking story and will be updated.
