Nominee to lead CYBERCOM, NSA to appear before Senate

Lt. Gen. Paul Nakasone, nominated to be the next chief of U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency, is scheduled to appear Thursday before the Senate Armed Services Committee for his confirmation hearing.

Nakasone is currently the head of Army Cyber Command and would also get a fourth star if approved by the Senate.

Adm. Mike Rogers, the current head of CYBERCOM and the NSA, said during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing Tuesday his successor will have to address Russia and China as they become more aggressive in stealing and, in some cases, legally purchasing sensitive data from cleared U.S. defense contractors.

"We find that many states now seek to integrate cyberspace operations with the plans and capabilities of their traditional military capabilities," he said. "Indeed, several have mounted sustained campaigns to scout and access our key enabling technologies, capabilities, platforms and systems as they are developed and produced by cleared defense contractors."

Other nominees scheduled to appear Thursday include Brent Park, nominated to be deputy administrator for defense nuclear nonproliferation at the National Nuclear Security Administration, and Anne White, nominated to be assistant secretary of energy for environmental management.