Report: Cyber Command to Expand to Nearly 5,000

U.S. Cyber Command at Fort Meade will expand from about 900 workers to 4,900 over the next several years, after the Pentagon approved a major expansion, the Washington Post reported. 

The agency, which was installed at Fort Meade in 2010, is expected to transform into a largely defensive force into one that will also carry out strategic cyber attacks, according to the report. 

"The move, requested by the head of the Defense Department’s Cyber Command, is part of an effort to turn an organization that has focused largely on defensive measures into the equivalent of an Internet-era fighting force," the Post said. 

The expansion comes at a time when Fort Meade continues to transform. More than 5,000 workers came to the installation following base realignment and closure activities in 2011, and the National Security Agency and other agencies have also been expanding. 

Until now, specific figures on the planned growth at Cyber Command has been hard to come by, in part because of an ongoing debate about the agency's responsibilities. The Post report suggests that the Pentagon is still working to determine whether the Cyber Command will be intertwined with the NSA or operate more independently. 

Read: Pentagon to Boost Cybersecurity Force in the Washington Post. 

See also: 

• Special Report: Beyond BRAC at Fort Meade