Vanguard Magazine

16 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 www.vanguardcanada.com F E AT U R E CYBERSPACE HAS EMERGED AS A CRITICAL DOMAIN OF MODERN CONFLICT, ALONGSIDE LAND, SEA, AIR, AND SPACE. THE THREATS IT PRESENTS ARE CONSTANT, FAST-MOVING, AND OFTEN INVISIBLE—RANGING FROM STATE-SPONSORED INTRUSIONS AND RANSOMWARE ATTACKS TO DISINFORMATION CAMPAIGNS DESIGNED TO UNDERMINE TRUST. FOR MILITARIES, CYBERSPACE IS NO LONGER JUST AN ENABLING ENVIRONMENT BUT A CONTESTED BATTLESPACE IN ITS OWN RIGHT. B Y VA N G U A R D S TA F F THE MISSION OF CYBER COMMAND SECURING CANADA'S DIGITAL BATTLESPACE T he Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) has made it a prior- ity to deter, detect, and re- spond to these evolving cyber threats—protecting military infrastructure, supporting joint operations, and contributing to global cyber stability. Recognizing cyberspace as an operational domain places it on equal footing with traditional theatres of war, underscoring both its complexity and its importance to Canada's national security. This is not to say that awareness of cy- ber threats as a key dimension of national defence is new. For decades, cyber, signals intelligence, and electronic warfare capa- bilities have existed across the CAF and the Department of National Defence (DND), some dating back to the Second World CAFCYBERCOM was created to solve a strategic command-and-control problem and to meet the growing complexity of cy- ber threats facing Canada and its allies. To- day it unifies all CAF cyber capabilities— including Joint Electronic Warfare, Signals Intelligence, and full-spectrum cyber op- erations—under a centralized structure. With a direct line to the Chief of the De- fence Staff, CAFCYBERCOM has placed cyber operations on a true warfighting footing. This centralization improves com- mand and control, operational agility, and the integration of cyber effects into joint military operations. "We have removed silos and created a more agile, integrated force that delivers cyber effects faster and more efficiently," says Major-General Dave Yarker, Commander, CAFCYBERCOM. "CAFCYBERCOM is a decisive step in defending Canada's interests in the cyber domain." It has consolidated Joint Electronic War- fare, Signals Intelligence, and cyber func- tions, enabling more cohesive and effective multi-domain mission execution across the CAF. "Bringing cyber specialists together enables seamless collaboration and shar- ing of insights, strengthening our mission effectiveness on the ground," says Chief Warrant Officer Peter Holub, Command CWO, CAFCYBERCOM. Simply put, CAFCYBERCOM directly supports Canada's national defence strate- War. These functions were often scattered and buried under multiple layers of report- ing, meaning important decisions some- times had to pass through five to seven echelons before reaching the Chief of the Defence Staff. The creation of the Canadian Armed Forces Cyber Command (CAFCYBER- COM) on September 26, 2024, however, marked an important turning point in how the military organizes, defends, and proj- ects its cyber capabilities. As the CAF's primary authority for cyber operations, CAFCYBERCOM is tasked with defending Canada's national interests by conducting cyber missions, sustaining cyber forces, and managing mission assur- ance to strengthen resilience against mali- cious cyber activity. CAFCYBERCOM Participates in Ex LOCKED SHIELDS 25

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