Report: Lt. Gen. Paul Nakasone Eyes Recommendation on Cybercom-NSA Split Once Confirmed

Lt. Gen. Paul Nakasone, the White House’s nominee to lead the U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency, has said he intends to offer a recommendation about the plan to split Cybercom from NSA within three months of his confirmation for the dual-hatted role, Nextgov reported Thursday.

Nakasone, current head of the Army Cyber Command, told lawmakers during a Senate confirmation hearing Thursday that he has “no predisposed opinion” about the separation and that he will seek to facilitate collaboration between the two organizations if the split pushes through.

“My experience is that the dual-hat arrangement has enabled the operationally close partnership between USCYBERCOM and the NSA, which benefits both in the accomplishment of their respective missions,” Nakasone, a 2018 Wash100 recipient, said in a written response to a question by the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Nakasone’s appearance before the Senate panel came weeks after the White House announced his nomination for the post.