What is Tier II in the Technical Reporting Structure?

In the context of the Technical Reporting Structure, Tier II primarily refers to the National Cyber Defense Operations Center (NCDOC). This center plays a critical role in coordinating and facilitating responses to cyber incidents, making it a central hub for technical reporting and operations within the cybersecurity framework.

NCDOC operates at an elevated level within the reporting structure, providing oversight, guidance, and support to local commands and organizations that handle more immediate, on-ground cybersecurity operations. It focuses on national and strategic-level cybersecurity issues, providing a bridge between tactical actions taken by local entities and the broader strategic goals of cybersecurity initiatives.

While other entities like local commands and organizations, USCYBERCOM, and the Intelligence Community are essential to the overall cybersecurity landscape, they operate at different tiers and fulfill distinct roles within the broader reporting and operational framework. Local commands facilitate firsthand incident response; USCYBERCOM focuses on military aspects of cybersecurity; and the Intelligence Community primarily works on information gathering and analysis. Hence, these do not fit the definition of Tier II as precisely as the NCDOC does.