First Defensive Cyberspace Operations – Internal Defensive Measures Company Activation

CAMP PENDLETON, CA, UNITED STATES

10.01.2018

Story by Cpl. Cutler Brice 

I Marine Expeditionary Force

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDELTON, Calif. – 9th Communication Battalion, I Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, activated the first Defensive Cyberspace Operations – Internal Defensive Measures Company during a ceremony on October 1, 2018.

The Marine Corps Enterprise Network, while protected against most cyber attacks, has advanced adversaries that are always seeking vulnerabilities in cyberspace.

To combat these attacks, 9th Communication Battalion activated one of the three DCO-IDM companies the Marine Corps will activate as a part of the Marine Corps Force Modernization 2025.

“People look at DCO-IDM and the capability it brings; they innumerate the network, they hunt. What it’s about is the battalion hunts,” said Lt. Col. Bryan Eovito, commanding officer of 9th Communication Battalion. “This battalion has operated and defended the networks for a long time, but there was a gap. There was a chink in our armor, and with the addition of DCO-IDM [Company], we now have all the tools to execute that ‘operate and defend’ mission.”

The DCO-IDM Company has additional capability to execute defensive cyberspace operations defending the Marine Air-Ground Task Force information network across all domains.

“The added security provides the ability to command and control through lines of communication in cyberspace giving the commanding general flexibility to employ Marines without concern of being compromised,” said Capt. Benjamin Opel, company commander of DCO-IDM Company, 9th Communication Battalion.

The battalion has always protected the network and lines of communication in any battle space to maintain communication. The DCO-IDM Company has increased the security posture and protects against adversaries most Marines do not see.

“We are the behind-the-scenes force much like the rest of the battalion” said Opel. “When we do our job properly, no one knows it is being done.”

• Date Taken: 10.01.2018
• Date Posted: 10.18.2018 19:51
• Story ID: 296650
• Location: CAMP PENDLETON, CA, US