New National Guard Brigade to Focus on Cyber Efforts

Nearly 1,000 members of the National Guard are part of a new brigade tasked with overseeing the service's cyber efforts.

The Army Times reported that the 91st Cyber Brigade was officially activated two weekends ago. With roughly 950 guardsmen in 30 states, the brigade will help train cyber specialists and will be ready to deploy when their high-tech skills are needed.

Each battalion within the brigade with have multiple teams of 35-40 people each: one focusing on cyber security, one specializing in cyber warfare, and another dealing with cyber protection, the Times notes.

"We've really jumped into the deep end of improving cyber capability within the Army National Guard," Lt. Gen. Timothy Kadavy, who serves as director of the Army National Guard, told the Times.

"So I'm excited to see how we grow within that area over the next 12 months."

The 91st Cyber Brigade is the first brigade to focus all of its efforts on cyber defense and cyber warfare.

A new program, meanwhile, offers cybersecurity training to members of the military in Colorado Springs who are transitioning to civilian life, Government Technology reported.

Earlier this year, Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., called for the creation of a military unit tasked with cybersecurity. 

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