The United States must effectively leverage all its capabilities to prepare for and prosecute conflicts with a cyber dimension. Both U.S. Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM) and the private sector play crucial roles. However, their efforts remain largely uncoordinated due to limits in traditional approaches to private-sector collaboration. This paper advocates establishing collaboration mechanisms to increase the effectiveness of both USCYBERCOM and the private sector, improving cyber defense at home and in support of friends and allies. Examples such as the Cyber Defense Assistance Collaborative (CDAC) illustrate how both general capacity building and targeted defense assistance are increasingly led by private companies. Key contexts in Europe and Asia highlight the need for deeper private-sector involvement. Numerous current and potential cyber conflict scenarios show where private actors can offer more effective support through intelligence, defensive capabilities, and training that can supplement or sometimes surpass military cyber operations. We conclude that USCYBERCOM should work more directly with the private sector. We propose establishing a Cyber Command Private Sector Collaboration Center (CCPSCC) to enable consistent blue-force tracking across government and private activities; coordinated threat hunting; and improved operations centers supporting cyber defense in conflict.
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