Belgian army launches Cyber Command.

On Wednesday, October 19, the Belgian Ministry of Defense launches a specialized unit supporting – or joining – joining the Land, Air, Naval and Medical components: the Cyber Command, which will work in close cooperation with SGRS, the military intelligence service (Service General de Renseignement et de Sécurité). This Command will get the status of a "full" fifth Component in 2024, while most probably remaining housed in the General Intelligence and Security Service (SGRS).
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Following and anticipating numerous cyberattacks against civilian and military networks, the time had come to at last create a command in the Belgian army, fully dedicated to fighting this ever-increasing kind of threats and attacks (Picture source: via Skillcast)

Following and anticipating numerous cyberattacks against civilian and military networks, the time had come to at last create a command fully dedicated to fighting this ever-increasing kind of threats and attacks. Belgian Minister of Defence Mrs. Ludivine Dedonder, in connection with the other instances concerned by the matter, took the decision of launching a dedicated Cyber Command. This new unit, which will benefit from a EUR 400 Mn budget mobilized in the framework of the STAR plan (Security & Service – Technology - Ambition – Resilience), will combine – and recruit – military and civilian top-class specialists in countering cyber-attacks. "We are going to develop our ability to neutralize a cyberattack and identify the perpetrators", said Major General Michel Van Strythem, head of the Cyber Command, interviewed by Antoine Clevers for La Libre Belgique. NATO has decreed cyberspace as being a fifth operational domain for military operations", alongside the land, sea, air and space domains.

Fighting disinformation is another mission assigned to the new Cyber Command. Indeed, besides the attacks directly carried on against Belgian civilian and military networks, the Russian and Chinese disinformation campaigns spotted by the SGRS (General Intelligence and Security Service) during the Covid-19 pandemic, for instance, as well as the conspiracy theories fueled by Russian "trolls" during the escape of far-right soldier Jürgen Conings, to mention only this one, led to the absolute need to set up a new unit in the Belgian army that would be able to defend and counter-attack the emitters of disinformation campaigns.

Interviewed by the RTBF (Belgian French-speaking Radio-TV network) on Wednesday 19 October morning, Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder said the Cyber Command will analyze the threats and attacks, neutralize them, and infiltrate the perpetrators. The final goal is to protect the Defense and the citizens. The Belgian Defense is not starting from scratch: capabilities are already housed in the General Intelligence and Security Service (SGRS). "The creation of the Cyber Command in the SGRS demonstrates the political and military will to develop these capabilities", said Major General Michel Van Strythem, head of the Cyber Command, interviewed by Antoine Clevers for La Libre Belgique.

Major General Van Strythem added: "I give an example to understand the importance of this area (the cyber pace): in 2014, a Ukrainian battalion had camouflaged itself in a wood, sheltered from direct observation. But it was not camouflaged in cyberspace because of a large concentration of smartphones. There were two immediate reactions: an enemy artillery fire on the position, and a PsyOps operation (psychological operation) towards the mothers and wives of the soldiers".

Major General Van Strythem points to four challenges for his new command, Antoine Clevers reports. First: prevention. "We will continue to teach our soldiers to camouflage themselves in cyberspace." Two: monitoring. The F-35s, future Navy ships and land vehicles: "All these systems will have to be protected as we protect the networks. Instead of protecting a communication network, we will have to protect the communication networks integrated with their armament system ."

Not only defensive actions are indispensable. As Minister Dedonder said, more offensive actions will be undertaken. Major General Van Strythem told Antoine Clevers "We must be able to react with our intrusive and offensive capabilities, neutralize a cyberattack and identify the perpetrators".

Finally, Major General Van Strythem told Antoine Clevers: " The development of the command will go through two major projects. First, recruitment, particularly of civilians. With us, there are almost 50% civilians. In particular, we want to launch a civil cyber reserve project, in addition to the military reserve. Next: innovation. In both cases, partnerships with civilians – universities, industry, employers, etc. – will be central. This is an area that is changing so quickly that believing that we can control everything internally, at the Defense, is an illusion".

The new Cyber Command will get the status of a "full" fifth Component in 2024, while most probably remaining housed in the General Intelligence and Security Service (SGRS) (Picture source: Belgian MoD)