In October 1959, the JCS Chairman informed NORAD 'that Canada and the U.S. Increased intelligence watch and strengthened security measuresĪfter NORAD was created, the command used different readiness levels (Normal, Increased, Maximum) subdivided into eight conditions, e.g., the 'Maximum Readiness' level had two conditions 'Air Defense Readiness' and 'Air Defense Emergency'. Increase in force readiness above that required for normal readinessĪir Force ready to mobilize in 15 minutes Nuclear war is imminent or has already startedĪrmed forces ready to deploy and engage in less than six hours On January 12, 1966, NORAD 'proposed the adoption of the readiness conditions of the JCS system', and information about the levels was declassified in 2006: Readiness condition This is to preclude the possibility of confusing exercise commands with actual operational commands. Levels ĭefense readiness conditions vary between many commands and have changed over time, and the United States Department of Defense uses exercise terms when referring to the DEFCON levels during exercises. military, such as Force Protection Conditions (FPCONS), Readiness Conditions (REDCONS), Information Operations Condition (INFOCON) and its future replacement Cyber Operations Condition (CYBERCON), and Watch Conditions (WATCHCONS), or the former Homeland Security Advisory System used by the United States Department of Homeland Security. The DEFCON 2 levels in the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis and 1991 Gulf War were not worldwide.ĭEFCONs should not be confused with similar systems used by the U.S. According to Air & Space/Smithsonian, as of 2014, the worldwide DEFCON level has never been more severe than DEFCON 3. In general, there is no single DEFCON status for the world or country and it may be set to only include specific geographical areas. Space Force) and different bases or command groups can be activated at different defense conditions. Secretary of Defense through the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Combatant Commanders each level defines specific security, activation and response scenarios for the personnel in question.ĭifferent branches of the U.S. The DEFCON level is controlled primarily by the U.S. It is not affiliated with any government agency and does not represent the alert status of any military branch. The DEFCON Warning System is a private intelligence organization which has monitored and assessed nuclear threats by national entities since 1984. The DEF CON FAQ has the answers to most of the common questions you might have. Pick up a bit of history and origin by watching DEF CON - The Documentary, and by checking out the About Page. DEF CON has been a part of the hacker community for over two decades. What is DEF CON? Check out We'll be posting videos and pictures from past conferences h. This is the official DEF CON YouTube channel. Date: November 20th, Friday Time: 6:00 PM EST - 10:00 PM EST Location: ONLINE (SEE BELOW). ĭEFCON 201 Online Meet Up - November 2020 - Back Orifice 2020.
DEFCON WARNING SYSTEM SERIES
ĭEFCONs are a subsystem of a series of Alert Conditions, or LERTCONs, which also include Emergency Conditions (EMERGCONs). It increases in severity from DEFCON 5 (least severe) to DEFCON 1 (most severe) to match varying military situations. It prescribes five graduated levels of readiness (or states of alert) for the U.S. The DEFCON system was developed by the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) and unified and specified combatant commands. The defense readiness condition ( DEFCON) is an alert state used by the United States Armed Forces. Comments and suggestions welcome regarding the System or the Message Board or any part of the DEFCON Warning System. Feedback to the Admin and Staff of the DEFCON Warning System.