Hung Cao, Acting Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV), speaks to the crew of Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD 8) during an all-hands call on the flight deck, Aug. 7, 2026. SECNAV was recently in San Diego visiting various commands to speak with Sailors and their families, focusing on his top priority, “taking care of our people.” (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Pheona David)
Hung Cao warned sailors, Marines and Navy civilians about a "deliberate effort to gather intelligence, test our defenses, disrupt our operations, and intimidate our force."
Dan Driscoll, 26th Secretary of the Army, speaks with U.S. Soldiers during his visit to Cap Draa, Tan-Tan, Morocco, May 2, 2026. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Alexandra Dale)
More formal social media plans and priorities for the Defense Department are expected to be communicated in the next few months, according to an internal email.
Staff Sgt. Gregory Fretz, cyber operations specialist with 178th Cyber Protection, Mississippi Army National Guard, monitors cyber attacks during Exercise Southern Strike at Camp Shelby, Mississippi, April 21, 2023. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Renee Seruntine)
Members of the Peoples Liberation Army band are seated during the Opening Ceremony of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China at The Great Hall of People on October 16, 2022 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)
The People’s Liberation Army sees artificial intelligence as a key enabler of psychological warfare that could be employed against the U.S. and other nations during “cognitive domain…