Mishall RehmanAbove image: left, the Chief of the Defence Staff General Jennie Carignan at the Canadian Armed Forces Cyber Command (CAFCYBERCOM) announcement. Right, MGen. Dave Yarker will head the new cyber command.
With the establishment of the Canadian Armed Forces Cyber Command (CAFCYBERCOM), the Canadian military is now better equipped to confront a new frontier.
The command plans to consolidate the CAF’s cyber capabilities into one single entity, allowing the military to be better equipped to face cyber threats.
“The establishment of the Canadian Armed Forces Cyber Command demonstrates to our allies, partners, and adversaries Canada’s ongoing commitment to operating in a challenging cyber domain. By enhancing our work in the cyber domain, and by continuing to collaborate with our partners and allies, we can detect, deter, and defend against cyber threats and malicious actors targeting Canada and our interests,” said Minister of National Defence, Bill Blair, during the announcement on Sept. 26. He was joined for the announcement by Gen. Jennie Carignan, Chief of the Defence Staff.
Role of CAFCYBERCOM
According to the Canadian military, CAFCYBERCOM will now be responsible for cyber operations, cyber force sustainment, management, and development.
The entity will include Signals Intelligence and Joint Electronic Warfare, allowing it to undertake a variety of cyber tasks.
The military says the creation of this new command will allow the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) to transition to a “pandomain battlespace.”
“Through the Canadian Armed Forces Cyber Command, the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces will continue to develop and scale offensive and defensive cyber operations capabilities in close cooperation with the Communications Security Establishment. This initiative supports cyber operations at both the tactical and strategic levels. The new organization will focus resources so that we can advance existing activities in cyberspace related to operations, personnel, policies, and capabilities,” said the CDS.
New Position Established
The new cyber command will be headed by MGen. Dave Yarker. Yarker comes into the position with years of experience under his belt, including key staff and liaison positions and command positions at the Unit and Formation levels since 2010.
He was appointed as the Joint Force Cyber Component Commander in 2022.
“Building decisive advantage in the cyber domain demands speed, trust, agility and unity of effort, and I am proud to be appointed as the head of the organization that will strive to deliver just that,” said MGen. Yarker.
Meeting International Commitments
The creation of CAFCYBERCOM helps to further the CAF’s commitments to NATO and the Five Eyes allies. The military says, “By bolstering its cyber capabilities, Canada is supporting greater interoperability with its allies, is better equipped to counter the full spectrum of cyber threats, and is advancing NATO mission goals and objectives.”
The new command will also allow the CAF to continue to develop its cyber operations while working alongside the Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSE). The CAF and CSE have worked closely over the last few decades, especially in terms of generating intelligence and cybersecurity.
“CSE has been a critical CAF partner since our inception. Working together comes naturally to us, and the CAF Cyber Command will be no different. That’s why we are uniting our already world-class foreign cyber operations capabilities to protect Canada in a complex world. At a time when we face cyber warfare even in peace time, this partnership will benefit Canadians as well as Canada’s allies and give us all better visibility on the evolving threat landscape we navigate every day,” said Caroline Xavier, Chief, Communications Security Establishment Canada.
