Government restructuring to abolish cyber threat intelligence division
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) has announced plans to disband the Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center (CTIIC), as part of a larger workforce reduction aimed at saving $700 million per year. This move is one of several reforms designed to return ODNI to its critical national security mission.
Established in 2015, the CTIIC was created to fuse information on cyber threats from across the 18 U.S. intelligence components. It was designed to support real-time national security activities, such as cyber-enabled disruption campaigns. The Center played a crucial role in coordinating daily cyber intelligence reports and was compared to the National Counterterrorism Center in bringing together a wide array of intelligence on a specific issue.
However, some critics argued that the establishment of the CTIIC created more duplication and bureaucracy. The ODNI is now integrating core functions and expertise from the CTIIC and several other offices into the ODNI's Mission Integration and National Intelligence Council.
The coordination of daily cyber intelligence reports will likely be taken over by the Office of the National Cyber Director (Sean Cairncross) and other federal cyber policymaking bodies following the dissolution of the CTIIC. This reorganization aims to eliminate redundant intelligence functions but cuts capabilities previously managed by the Center.
Senator Tom Cotton, who has introduced legislation to cap the size of ODNI, believes the reforms will help make ODNI a stronger and more effective national security tool for President Trump. House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Rick Crawford commended the reforms as a step in the right direction.
The CTIIC's functions, particularly in supporting cyber-enabled disruption campaigns against cybercriminal organizations or foreign intelligence services, may not be able to be performed by the National Intelligence Council without additional resources. Michael Daniel, who helped lead the establishment of the CTIIC, argues that the center offers a unique function in coordinating intelligence on real-time incidents, such as Russian hacks of dams in NATO countries.
The disbandment of the CTIIC continues the trend of weakening U.S. government cyber capabilities. Numerous entities exist in the Executive Branch for the coordination of cyber issues, yet the National Intelligence Council does not focus on coordinating day-to-day intelligence reporting. The CTIIC was also involved in diplomatic negotiations with adversaries regarding cybersecurity issues.
As the ODNI undergoes these significant changes, it remains to be seen how the loss of the CTIIC will impact the United States' ability to respond to and prevent cyber threats in real-time.
