For matters like network evaluations and threat reduction, 38 cyber units of the National Guard are there to help.
According to reports on Friday, 14 states will activate National Guard cybersecurity teams in preparation for Tuesday’s midterm elections.
After concerns about Russian intervention activities in the 2016 election for the presidency, the decision to have teams ready to help has been routine in recent polls.
“Cyberspace is the next frontier. Since this space has been crafted by humans, “according to StateScoop, Illinois National Guard commander Maj. Gen. Rich Neely, Air Force, said this. “Our mission is to strengthen election security. We’re only getting started here.”
According to reports, the National Guard Cyber Forces are ready to preserve the integrity of the midterm elections if needed.
On Tuesday, teams were stationed in 14 states: Arizona, North Carolina, Iowa, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Hawaii, Illinois, Connecticut, Delaware, Louisiana, New York, Washington, New Mexico, and West Virginia.
According to Politico, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Organization (CISA) is the primary agency entrusted with defending electoral infrastructure from cyber attacks. Its employees will cooperate with and receive security updates from the National Guard.
More than 2,200 people serve in the National Guard’s 38 cyber units, assisting state and local governments with cyber challenges, including network evaluations and risk mitigation.
North Carolina is one of many states with “core teams” of ten cyber personnel; however, these teams grow to include emergency and federal management partners during election cycles.
Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Todd Hunt of the North Carolina National Guard announced at a video briefing on Friday that the state has established a center for Joint Cyber Mission staffed by members of the National Guard and federal liaisons from CISA and the Department of Homeland Security.
Hunt stated at the briefing, “We will surge throughout the election to guarantee 24-hour coverage throughout this process.” Soldiers, also residents of a specific state, have a stake in that state’s electoral processes, just as they do in their home country.
In addition, Hunt said that the unit’s work for municipal and county authorities began well before Election Day with vulnerability assessment and penetration tests. Most of the state’s county election boards also received cyber training.
CISA Director Jen Easterly stated that while teams are ready to respond across the country, the agency has “no intelligence, credible or particular, concerning efforts to disrupt or undermine” the midterm voting or voting-related systems.
The distribution of disinformation online by “domestic and foreign actors” will be tracked by CISA and state election officials.
