Navy cyber chief warns exploit stockpiles deplete rapidly in sustained conflict
Vice Adm. Heidi Berg, commander of Fleet Cyber Command and 10th Fleet, said cyber capabilities can be used up quickly during sustained operations. She noted that cyber tools and exploits are harder to replenish than traditional munitions and can become useless once vulnerabilities are patched. Speaking at HammerCon, she stressed the need to regenerate access and effects for long conflicts against peer competitors.
Vice Adm. Heidi Berg leads Fleet Cyber Command and 10th Fleet. At HammerCon, hosted by the Military Cyber Professionals Association, she said cyber fires are spent quickly and must be regenerated for long campaigns against peer adversaries. Exploits can be nullified once software flaws are patched, and rebuilding access takes time and expertise rather than money alone.
Lt. Gen. Christopher Eubank, Army Cyber Command commander, said Operation Epic Fury began Feb. 28 and has been continuous, a first for many cyber forces. Former CYBERCOM operator Jason Kikta called access the core asset, quickly used and slowly restored. Cyber Command also sought $229 million more in an unfunded priorities request.
The warning may shape how policymakers, military planners, and cyber personnel think about readiness. If exploit stockpiles deplete, commanders could face harder choices about when to use cyber effects versus preserve access for intelligence. Defense contractors, software vendors, and civilians in critical infrastructure may feel indirect effects if patched vulnerabilities and sustained operations alter priorities. Public debate may broaden beyond missile inventories to include digital tools.