HACK BACK — President Donald Trump’s appointments to the National Security Council signal the administration wants to get more aggressive in cyberspace following major Chinese breaches of U.S. networks. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz set the tone early in the administration, telling Breitbart that he was open to offensive cyber action to deter China and other actors. Offensive cyber operations are those that seek to sabotage, block user access, or otherwise disrupt adversary systems. Waltz’s advisers on the National Security Council, meanwhile, suggest he’ll have eager supporters of his vision. At the top of the cyber chain of command stands Alexei Bulazel, who serves as senior director for cyber at the National Security Council. Bulazel comes from a background in private sector cyber security, and served as a director for cyber policy in the National Security Council under Trump, according to his LinkedIn page. Bulazel has been vocal on the need to use offensive cyber operations. “America has incredible offensive cyber power. We need to stop being afraid to use it,” he posted on X on Dec. 24. Bulazel has also been critical of the U.S.’s current defensive operations in cyberspace, which he called the product of a “sclerotic and risk-averse bureaucracy,” that offers “press releases” rather than action. — Hunt forward: Under Bulazel sits Emily Goldman, who previously worked as a cyber strategist for U.S. Cyber Command. Goldman worked on the aggressive “persistent engagement” strategy under the first Trump administration and later co-wrote a book on it. The term encompasses U.S. activities like “hunt forward” operations in which the U.S. sent cybersecurity teams abroad to root out adversary malware in the networks of allies. Goldman will be joined by JD Work, a former intelligence official and subsequently a professor at National Defense University specializing in cyber intelligence and strategy. Work has argued against simply securing U.S. networks, which he has framed as shifting responsibility to the private sector. An alternative to defensive policy, he has argued, would consist of offensive actions that “erode adversary capabilities,” combined with other, non-cyber tools. Bulazel frequently reshares Work’s postings to X, suggesting that he shares Work’s views. — Intel community: The latest addition to the team is Robert Brose, who has been appointed director of cyber intelligence, said two people familiar with the appointment. A White House spokesperson, speaking on background, confirmed the appointment. Brose formerly served within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Brose also worked as a China and Southeast Asia expert, in what could be a nod to the geographic focus of the National Security Council’s cyber team. Brose has written little publicly on offensive cyber. However, his biography suggests he will bring deep knowledge of the intelligence community to the job, a background likely to come in useful for offensive action.
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