Using National Guard Cyber Forces to Support Homeland Cyber Defense Activities in Non–DoD-Owned Cyberspace

Institute for Defense Analyses

This paper examines how the National Guard can deploy its network of cyber professionals to defend non-DoD systems, with particular attention to election infrastructure. It evaluates different statutory activation authorities and highlights the 2020 presidential election as a key operational example of the Guard successfully assessing state-level network configurations. The report also provides metrics to guide governors on the military's potential role in managing vulnerabilities, including off-keyboard advisory support and incident response.