Summary

Amends 10 U.S.C. § 394 to expand the Department of Defense’s affirmed authority for cyber operations so it explicitly covers defense of Department of Defense critical infrastructure. It adds a statutory definition of “critical infrastructure of the Department of Defense” to mean any DoD asset so important that its cyber incapacitation or destruction would debilitate the Department’s ability to carry out its missions. The change also adjusts internal definition numbering.

• Broadens 10 U.S.C. § 394 to explicitly cover DoD defense of its critical infrastructure against cyber attacks.
• Creates a statutory definition of 'critical infrastructure of the Department of Defense' focused on assets whose cyber loss would debilitate DoD missions.
• Adjusts existing definition numbering to incorporate the new definition.
• Does not allocate funding or set implementation timelines in the amendment itself.
• Makes DoD cyber-defense authority clearer in statute but leaves operational details and coordination with civilian owners unspecified.
• May increase DoD involvement in protecting high-value assets, including those that interface with civilian systems.
• Is primarily a national-security–focused, definitional change rather than a broad programmatic or budgetary measure.