The Colorado National Guard is one of the latest recipients of a new cyber defense capability announced Dec. 9.

Colorado will be the command headquarters for the Region VIII Cyber Protection team, which is aligned with FEMA Region VIII.

“One strength of the team is how the region is centrally located within the country and can provide rapid support to other regions or federal or domestic operations,” said Army Lt. Col. Isaac Martinez, chief information officer for the Colorado Army National Guard. “Colorado was chosen for the team due not only to its location, but also because of our established relationships with the local Cyber Centers of Academic Excellence.”

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.

“Our goal for cyber-defense is to train, equip and provide highly skilled forces responsive to the needs of the nation,” said Army Gen. Frank Grass, chief of the National Guard Bureau. “Working with the Army and Air Force our cyber squadrons and teams will provide trained and ready Soldiers and Airmen to support requirements established by the services and U.S. Cyber Command.”

Seven new Army Guard Cyber Protection Teams will be activated across Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wisconsin. They join four previously announced Army Guard CPTs spread across California, Georgia, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan and Ohio.

“As one of the most educated and innovative states in the nation, Colorado has become a major source for skilled workers,” said Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper. “The creation of a Colorado National Guard cyber protection team is yet another indicator that our state is poised to become a hub of cyber excellence.”

“The Colorado National Guard is uniquely positioned to employ our home-grown cyber talent,” said Air Force Maj. Gen. H. Michael Edwards, adjutant general of Colorado. “Many of our part-time members are employed full-time in the technology and science industries. “This cyber protection team will fully harness their skills in defense of our communities, state, and nation in cyberspace.”

In partnership with the Air Force, the Air National Guard will activate four new Cyber Operations Squadrons in Idaho, Michigan, Texas and Virginia. In addition, a cyber Information Surveillance Reconnaissance squadron will stand up in California, and a cyber ISR group in Massachusetts.

The current roll out of Guard cyber units is part of laying out a larger foundation for future cyber forces scheduled for activation.

“This is the beginning,” said Air Force Col. Kelly Hughes, chief of the Space and Cyber Warfare Operations Division at the Air National Guard Readiness Center at Andrews Air Force Base. “This is a massive amount of force structure the Guard has laid into this mission, but this is just the first layer.”

Activating cyber units in these states allows for the National Guard to fulfill Army and Air Force cyber missions while positioning cyber protection units in each of the 10 Federal Emergency Management Agency response regions.

“The focus is to get that presence in as many states as possible and especially making sure we have all the FEMA regions covered,” added Hughes about the current activation plans.

Ensuring each FEMA region has coverage ties into the National Guard’s mission to respond to large-scale emergencies and disasters at home, said Air Force Col. Timothy T. Lunderman, director of joint cyber operations at the National Guard Bureau, adding that because the Guard is community based, there are already relationships in place. Cyber teams and squadrons, he added, are another asset governors can use at the state level should they be needed.

“If we have never met before, and I come knocking on your door and say, ‘I’m here to help you with a cyber incident,’ you’d close the door,” said Lunderman. “The Guard is in all 50 states, three territories and the District of Columbia. We have the capability and relationships already established. If state and local officials need help, they’re more likely to turn to the folks they know. The people they know are the Guard.”

And like other National Guard assets, cyber protection units – whose members only operate on DOD and government networks, including those of state governments – can be used in multi-state settings through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, Lunderman said.

While each state may not yet be home to a cyber protection team or squadron, Guard elements in each state, territory and the District of Columbia already have a computer network defense team or other cyber protection assets assigned, said Hughes.

“The Army National Guard has laid computer network defensive teams into every state,” he said. “Between the Army Guard and the Air Guard, there is a level of cyber protection capability in each state.”

Armed with civilian experience in cyber security and network engineering, Hughes said, National Guard cyber specialists are able to provide robust capability.

“That’s the kind of thing you can get with the Guard,” he said. “Our longevity and knowledge is hard to match. That is what makes the Guard great.”

It’s also a mission that Guard members can easily transition from state status to federal status.

“We can do this mission from anywhere,” said Hughes. “We don’t have to physically relocate to do it. As long as we have the connectivity, we can operate from home station.”