SPRINGFIELD, IL (12/10/2015)(readMedia)-- SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - A unique team of Army National Guard warriors whose mission is to protect U.S. and state interests within the cyber world will be based in Illinois and Wisconsin, the National Guard Bureau announced on Dec. 9.
"This is a win for both Illinois and Wisconsin. This is a win for the Midwest," said Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner. "This is bringing unique military capabilities under the command and control of the states, who are on the front lines of cyber defense."
The Cyber Protection Team, with approximately 40 Soldiers, will have its headquarters in Illinois along with two cyber sections?. Likely locations for these sections will be Springfield, the Bloomington-Normal area and Chicagoland. Wisconsin will house the team's remaining three sections.
"This team will give us critical assets to defend our nation, region and state against cyber attack regardless of where those attacks originate," said Maj. Gen. Richard J. Hayes Jr., the Adjutant General of the Illinois National Guard. "The partnership with Wisconsin makes both states stronger within the cyber domain."
The Illinois National Guard works hand-in-hand with multiple state and federal agencies as well as nongovernmental entities in domestic emergency operations and has participated in cyber protection exercises at the state, regional and national level.
Partners within Illinois slated to support cyber operations include DuPaul University, Illinois State University, the University of Illinois at Champaign, the University of Illinois at Springfield, Lincoln Land Community College, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory, the Drug Enforcement Agency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, the Illinois State Police, and the DuPage County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.
"There are no borders in cyber-warfare," Hayes said. "Adversaries will target industry, energy, infrastructure, communications, academia, government and military. Our defense needs to be united and coordinated."
As part of ongoing growth of cyber forces throughout the Department of Defense, the National Guard announced plans to activate 13 additional cyber units spread throughout 23 states by the end of fiscal year 2019. The current roll out of Guard cyber units is part of laying out a larger foundation for future cyber forces scheduled for activation.
