Minnesota National Guard deploys for first federal cybersecurity mission

U.S. officials regularly point out cyber threats to the country and the damage they could do to the country.

A unit from the Minnesota National Guard was sent on its first federal deployment Sunday and is joining a larger effort to protect the country’s interests.

The Minnesota National Guard is sending 35 soldiers from its 177th Cyber Protection Team to Fort George G. Meade in Maryland as part of a larger task force under the 780th Military Intelligence Brigade. They will carry out cyberspace operations in support of U.S. Cyber Command and the Cyber National Mission Force.

"This mobilization is the culmination of years of hard work by our highly-trained and specialized cyber soldiers and officers," Maj. Brian Morgan, the 177th Cyber Protection Team commander, said in a statement. “We look forward to putting this training to the test as we work alongside our counterparts from across the nation."

The 177th Cyber Protection Team, created in 2017, "conducts threat-focused, intelligence-driven defensive cyber operations in response to ongoing or imminent threats" and is one of 11 such units across the National Guard.

Minnesota is one of only three states to have a full Cyber Protection team, according to the National Guard.