CENTENNIAL, Colo. – By order of Gov. Jared Polis, Colorado National Guard Soldiers and Airmen will help defend the June and November Colorado state elections from cyberattacks.
Members of the Colorado Army National Guard’s Defense Cyber Operations Element and Cyber Protection Team, and the Colorado Air National Guard’s 140th Wing Communications Flight, will form Task Force Cyber to help the Colorado secretary of state and the Office of Information Technology prevent cyberattacks and enhance integration across state agencies.
“Our cyber warriors are highly trained and ready to assist our state partners to secure our election infrastructure,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Michael Loh, the adjutant general of Colorado. “This mission is also a great opportunity for our cyber response team members to improve their readiness in a real-world, cutting-edge training environment.”
For the past seven years, during seven statewide elections, Colorado has provided Colorado National Guard cyber teams to work at the security operations center at the secretary of state’s office to help monitor key systems for malicious activity.