- Assistant Secretary Katie Sutton and General Joshua Rudd testified on the Department of Defense's cyber posture, with Sutton serving as Assistant Secretary for Cyber Policy and Rudd recently taking command of U.S. Cyber Command and NSA

- Sutton stated adversaries have shifted from espionage to prepositioning disruptive capabilities inside U.S. critical infrastructure, citing threat actors like Volt Typhoon as persistent national security threats

- The department is implementing three core priorities: integrating cyber across all warfare domains, gaining strategic advantage below armed conflict, and reorganizing forces through the Cybercom 2.0 initiative

- Cyber Command executed more than 8,000 missions in 2025, a 25% increase over 2024, and expects to exceed that pace in 2026

- Cybercom supported recent operations including Operation Midnight Hammer in Iran, Operation Absolute Resolve in Venezuela, and Operation Epic Fury

- General Rudd emphasized four operating principles: speed, scale, innovation, and integration, and highlighted the partnership between Cyber Command and NSA

- Cybercom 2.0 is restructuring the cyber workforce, shifting advanced training responsibilities to Cyber Command while services handle basic training, with approximately 80-90% of the cyber mission force currently in uniform

- Multiple members raised the question of establishing an independent cyber force separate from the services; Sutton noted a National Academy study on the topic is expected this summer

- Witnesses discussed expanding the talent pool through civilian reserves, National Guard integration, and industry partnerships to address cyber workforce shortages

- Sutton announced a new Department of War cyber strategy is under development, expected to be completed this summer

- Members expressed concern about whether current cyber investment matches the scale of threats from China and Russia, with Sutton noting substantial budget increases in the newly released proposal

- Discussion addressed AI as a force multiplier for adversaries, with Sutton emphasizing the need for accountability frameworks and rapid policy adaptation to keep pace with technology

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vJX0MIo7fk