IDF establishes new cyber branch
Army official says new cyber branch will be built up over two years, and it is not yet clear if it will encompass all of the IDF's cyber units.
Eisenkot established a team to investigate the defensive and offensive realms of cyber activity immediately upon entering the chief of staff's office, and decided to establish a cyber branch rather than a cyber command.
It is not yet clear whether the branch will be headed by its a major-general, or simply fall under the purview of one of the General Staff's other high-ranking officers.
A senior IDF official said Wednesday that, in recent days "we reached a direction which is not yet final, but requires a different approach to the rest of the army."
According to the official, building the cyber branch will continue for the next two years.
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"We are talking about a sensitive move to be led by a cross-branch steering team, in order to maximize all the cyber capabilities," the source said.
"It’s a dimension that is not geographical, but is very important in every mission. The process will be very segmented. The steering team will analyze the importance of every aspect, and the understanding of the reciprocal relationship between all involved parties," the source continued.
"The defense minister has been briefed on the establishment of the new branch and its progress, and the plans will soon be brought before him for authorization," he said.
According to the source, it's not yet clear if all cyber elements will be focused in one place: "Today, cyber units are spread throughout the army (Military Intelligence Directorate, Communications Division, and additional branches). We need to give cyber threats a new focus and resources."
