Cyber Command celebrated its first birthday during a ceremony in Canberra on March 26, recognising its contribution to the defence of the nation.
Officially activated on March 25, 2024, Cyber Command was established to deliver the transformational change required to meet the increasingly complex challenges within a contested, congested and competitive cyber domain - the fifth warfighting domain.
Now, 12 months on, it has been a year of constant evolution to stay ahead of the challenges and opportunities present in the domain that has no geographical boundaries.
Commander Cyber Command Major General Robert 'Doc' Watson said as the cyber domain evolves, his command would continue to adapt to meet the emerging threats and safeguard the nation.
"Conducting cyberspace operations is warfighting in networks - both in ours and in our adversaries," Major General Watson said.
"While not in physical conflict today, our networks and operational technologies present a vast threat surface. Illegitimate access and exploitation has the potential to disrupt, delay or prevent the deployment and use of force.
"The threat is real, persistent and current. In the cyber domain, we are in conflict now."
'[Cyber Command] provides workforce and capability to support the ADF in understanding and countering threats in the cyber domain.'
It is the increasing and voracious cyber threat that continues to drive the transformation of Defence's cyber and information operations capabilities to meet National Defence Strategy requirements.
Major General Watson said the command has focused on consolidating the major functions of force generation and force development across three main branches: Cyber Forces Group, Cyber Forces Development and the Defence Cyber and Information Assurance Branch (DCIAB).
This has involved Cyber Forces Group integrating into its structure the Joint Cyber Unit, Fleet Cyber Unit, 138 Signal Squadron, 462 Squadron, 1st Joint Public Affairs Unit and 1st Joint Data Networks Unit.
"The transfer of these units to Cyber Command has enabled the flexible provision of cyber force support to CJOPS [Chief of Joint Operations] operations, the Australian Signals Directorate, and both joint and service force generation activities," Major General Watson said.
"Meanwhile, Cyber Forces Development has developed and published Concept COHERE to build resilience and deny adversary temporal advantage in the cyber domain.
"And the transition of DCIAB from ICT Operations in December 2023 has positioned the command to improve how the ADF secures information communications and operational technologies. This brings a warfighting approach to how we generate trusted and resilient networks and systems across the ADF."
Command Warrant Officer Cyber Command, Warrant Officer Class 1 (WO1) Delwyn Jones, said the restructure of Cyber Command has enabled the normalisation of cyber domain interaction with the other four warfighting domains and strengthened the ADF's objective of becoming a truly integrated force.
"The cyber domain is not geographically bound; it cuts through and operates equally across the other domains," WO1 Jones said.
"Cyber Command plays a significant role in supporting multi-domain operations and safeguarding national security by enabling the ADF's warfighting networks. It provides workforce and capability to support the ADF in understanding and countering threats in the cyber domain."
'The threat is real, persistent and current. In the cyber domain, we are in conflict now.'
Looking to the future, Major General Watson said the command would now concentrate on expanding the role it plays in the force generation and cyber preparedness of maritime, land and air capabilities.
"If we cannot defend our networks today, we will be unable to fight our maritime, ground and air platforms tomorrow," he said.
"Nor will we be able to blunt adversary actions in the battlespace or create opportunities to target our adversary. Our adversary will win without fighting. In this way, the conduct of routine cyberspace operations is an essential part of condition-setting in today's battlespace."
Cyber Command brings together Navy, Army, Air Force, Australian Public Service and industry partners into a coherent and centralised cyber domain capability to master cyberspace and the electromagnetic spectrum.
