-- For more information read the original article here.
The Army cyber mission force, or CMF, has grown “exponentially since September 2013 with 25 of 41 [planned] teams at initial operating capability,” Lt. Gen. Edward C. Cardon told lawmakers, March 4.
The Cyber Operations Center on Fort Gordon, Ga., is home to signal and military intelligence non-commissioned officers, who watch for and respond to network attacks from adversaries as varied as nation-states, terrorists and “hacktivists.” Editor's note: the center was sanitized of classified information for this photo. (Photo: U.S. Army/Michael L. Lewis/Released)
“We are on track to have all 41 CMF teams established and operating by the end of fiscal year 2016. However, they will not all be fully operationally capable until FY17,” he said. CMF teams are allocated to combatant commanders, where they provide defensive and offensive cyber capabilities.
Cardon, who is the commander of U.S. Army Cyber Command, or ARCYBER, and Second Army, addressed “operationalizing cyberspace” in oral and written testimony. He and his counterparts from the other services appeared before the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities.
GUARD, RESERVE CAPABILITIES
Besides the CMF teams, Cardon said ARCYBER will create “a total, multi-component Army cyber force that includes 21 Reserve-component cyber protection teams, trained to the same standards as the active-component cyber force.”
In October 2014, one Army National Guard cyber protection team was activated and is in Title 10 status, he added, meaning those Guard soldiers are now on active duty.
It is sometimes a bit tricky to get the proper authorities to activate Reserve-component soldiers, he said.
Lt. Gen. Edward C. Cardon, commander of U.S. Army Cyber Command and Second Army, addresses “Operationalizing Cyberspace” in testimony before the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities, March 4, 2015. (Photo: screen capture of hearing)
Authorities are a “complex problem” and “remain a challenge,” Cardon said. “While Title 10 authorities are clear, Title 32 and state active duty require the application of varied state constitutional, legislative, and executive authorities and coordination with state agencies and officials.”
There is merit in developing a common approach in every state for authorities and capabilities to facilitate a more rapid and effective response in cyberspace operations, he added.
Reserve-component cyber experts are a tremendous resource, he said, pointing out that both Guard and Reserve soldiers already have the acquired cyber skills that will enable them to integrate more quickly into the cyberspace force than if they had to be trained from -- For more information read the original article here.
According to Plepler, the main reason why HBO opted to team up with Apple was due to the success of its existing cable-based service, HBO GO. 60 percent of HBO GO traffic comes from Apple devices, including the Apple TV, Macs, and the iPhone and the iPad. HBO GO apps have been available on iOS devices since 2011 and the service has been available on the Apple TV since 2013. Plepler also pointed towards the popularity of Apple devices as a deciding factor.
Well, listen. They're obviously an extraordinary company with a wide range of devices, and those devices are proliferating throughout the consumer base. But also, as we look at HBO GO, which is our streaming service tethered to distributors, we saw about 60 percent usage on Apple devices so it made perfect sense for us to work with Apple introducing HBO Now.HBO Now differs from HBO GO because it does not require a cable subscription for access. Instead, all of HBO's content, including TV shows, movies, documentaries, and more, is available to customers for $14.99 per month. Launching in time for the Game of Thrones premiere in April, HBO NOW will be exclusively available on the Apple TV and Apple devices for the first three months of its life.
Once that three month period has expired, HBO will bring the service to other platforms as well. Plepler expects HBO NOW will be popular with millennials, calling it a "millennial missile," and he doesn't believe the price, which is higher than other services like Netflix, will turn customers away. "We think we have a premium product," he said. "We have extraordinary content ... and it's the price of a movie ticket and a bucket of popcorn."
In addition to partnering with HBO for HBO Now, Apple is also in the middle of negotiations for its own streaming television service, which would provide a select number of cable channels to customers via the web, with no cable subscription necessary. Apple is said to be planning to price the service at $30 to $40 per month for approximately 25 channels, and -- For more information read the original article here.