WASHINGTON — The Pentagon plans to create a new military command for cyberspace, stepping up preparations by the armed forces to conduct both offensive and defensive computer warfare, The New York Times reported in its Friday editions.

The military command would complement a civilian effort announced Friday by President Obama to overhaul the way the United States safeguards its computer networks, the Times reported administration officials as saying Thursday.

White House officials told the Times that Obama has not yet been formally presented with the Pentagon plan.

Obama is expected to sign a classified order in coming weeks that will create the military cyber command, officials told the Times. It is a recognition that the United States already has a growing number of computer weapons in its arsenal and must prepare strategies for their use — as a deterrent or alongside conventional weapons — in a variety of possible future conflicts.

One issue, according to the New York Times report, is whether the Pentagon or the National Security Agency should take the lead in preparing for and fighting cyber battles, or how they might operate jointly.

NSA director Lt. Gen. Keith Alexander could also head up cybercommand, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday.

The decision to create a cybercommand is a major step beyond those taken by the Bush administration, which authorized several computer-based attacks but never resolved the question of how the government would prepare for a new era of warfare fought over digital networks, the Times observed.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates has pushed for the Pentagon to become better organized to address the security threat. Initially at least, the new command would focus on organizing the various components and capabilities now scattered across the four armed services.

While the Defense Department is considering creating a sub-unified command for cyberspace, no decision has yet been made, a department spokesman told Stripes.

“As far as how cyber mission is organized in OSD [Office of the Secretary of Defense], U.S. Strategic Command is the combatant command with the cyber mission,” said Air Force Lt. Col. Eric Butterbaugh.

A spokesman for Strategic Command was not immediately available for comment Friday.

Obama made no mention of the proposed cybercommand in a speech Friday about cybersecurity.

However, he noted that Defense Department networks are constantly under attack, and servicemembers lost the ability to use thumb drives and other external memory devices last year after a virus affected thousands of department computers.

He also mentioned that the Russians launched an effective cyber attack during their invasion of Georgia last year, and the terrorists who launched December’s attacks in Mumbai relied on the Global Positioning System and voice over Internet phones.

Last year, his presidential campaign fell victim to hackers, who gained access to e-mails, policy position papers and travel plans, he said.

The campaign worked with the FBI and Secret Service and hired security consultants to restore security, Obama said.

“All of you who donated to our campaign, I want you all to rest assured that our fundraising Web site was untouched,” Obama said to laughter from the audience. “So your confidential, personal and financial information was protected.”

Stars and Stripes reporter Jeff Schogol contributed to this report.