National Guard to activate cybersecurity teams in 14 states ahead of midterm elections
38 National Guard cyber units provide support against issues, like network assessments and risk mitigation
The National Guard will be activating cybersecurity teams in 14 states ahead of the midterm elections on Tuesday to counter any potential interferences, Politico and StateScoop reported on Friday.
The decision to have teams ready for support has become a familiar one over the past few elections after the reports of Russian interference operations during the 2016 presidential election.
“Cyber’s that new domain. It’s a man-made domain,” said Air Force Maj. Gen. Rich Neely, head of the Illinois National Guard, according to media outlet StateScoop. “Our goal is to make sure we have as secure elections as possible. We are at the really beginning stages of this.”
National Guard Cyber Forces provided support in eight states during primary elections earlier this year and are reportedly prepared to protect the integrity of the midterms if necessary.