The Joint Forces Headquarters-Department of Defense Information Network is a central resource and critical weapons system for defending the homeland, deterring China and rebuilding the military, said Army Lt. Gen. Paul T. Stanton, director of the Defense Information Systems Agency and commander of the JFHQ-DODIN, during a hearing today before the Senate Armed Services Committee's cybersecurity subcommittee in Washington.
"Our mission never rests. It's hard to imagine any aspect of planning, preparing or executing modern warfighting that does not include data production, consumption, transport or analysis," he said.
Stanton added that JFHQ-DODIN and DISA are responsible for securely delivering real-time, globally accessible information to the warfighter.
"We ensure the right data is at the right place, at the right time — empowering commanders to make better and faster decisions than our adversaries," he explained. "We are warfighters, supporting warfighting."
The general said both organizations maintain distinct responsibilities yet support one another to balance performance and security. They organize, observe and maneuver within cyberspace to defeat enemy aggression and preserve functional operations, ensuring the mission is accomplished.
"Success in warfighting requires forces that are manned, organized, trained and equipped to operate effectively at both the individual and collective levels. Cyberoperations require combining skill sets such as host network and data analysis towards mutually supporting outcomes. Each [person] must do his or her part with confidence and competence," he said.
Stanton said both organizations prioritize limited resources against critical systems while preserving freedom of action and imposing costs on the adversary. He noted that continuous modernization remains a priority.
"We actively field emerging technologies and iterate within our development process," he said. "We design for extensibility with the understanding that technology and the operating environment will inevitably change."