SCHOOL THESIS

H. MILITARY CYBER EVENT CONFERENCES
1. Cyber Event Conferences
The CJCS has established emergency conferencing procedures to allow military
commands around the world to simultaneously connect and discuss urgent military
events. One type of cyberspace event consultation was previously entitled “Operation
Gladiator Phoenix” conferences: 72
(U) Operation GLADIATOR PHOENIX Conference (OGPC).The OGPC
allows USCYBERCOM to rapidly investigate any significant cyber
activities and determine if there is a possible cyber attack on the U.S., its
national security, civilian or military personnel, critical infrastructure, and/
or other national assets or interests. 73
Managed by USCYBERCOM, these classified, encrypted conferences are used by
cyberspace technical experts to discuss real-time network concerns. Recently, OGP
conferences were split into two new discussion groups and renamed:
“Cyber Watch Conferences” now provide a specialized forum for
operational watch centers to identify and troubleshoot anomalous cyberspace indications,
conduct checks to verify circuits are serviceable, communication encryption devices are
functioning, satellite relay systems are operative, etc.
“Cyber Event Conferences” now allow senior decision-makers to discuss
potential operational impacts with each other, and to deliberate what follow-on
cyberspace actions might be required.
Typically, whenever USCYBERCOM detects a cyberspace event, it notifies all
applicable command centers (such as Headquarters NORAD and USNORTHCOM) using
either a “Cyber Watch Conference” or “Cyber Event Conference” (depending on the
severity of the cyber event) to resolve any resulting issues. (See Figure 19.)
72 U.S. Department of Defense, “Emergency Action Procedures of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff, Volume VI, Emergency Conferences (U),” 14 Sep 2012. (Note: Information presented are from
unclassified paragraphs.)
73 Ibid., II-15.
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