The move backs President Donald J. Trump’s focus on election security. Under the order, U.S. Cyber Command and combat support agencies will use advanced intelligence and cyber tools to spot, disrupt, and stop foreign meddling in U.S. voting systems.
“Free and fair elections are the foundation of our republic,” Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell said in an announcement on Monday. “By working in lockstep with federal, state, and local partners, U.S. Cyber Command and our defense intelligence teams will defend the integrity of America’s voting systems, expose foreign malign influence, and ensure our democratic processes remain secure from external manipulation while protecting the fundamental freedoms of the American people.”
“U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency are closely partnered to identify and defend against cyber threats to our nation. The Command and the Agency regularly counter actions by malicious foreign cyber actors including those with the intent to interfere with our democratic process,” said Gen. Joshua M. Rudd, commander, U.S. Cyber Command and director of the National Security Agency/chief, CSS.
The Department of War will apply its resources to guard the reliability of U.S. voting systems from outside disruption while preserving national freedoms. Rudd noted the command’s ongoing work with partners to counter such threats.
“Our Nation’s ability to conduct free and fair elections is a steadfast principal [sic]of our democracy. Assuring and protecting this ability is a no-fail mission and the DoW will do its part in supporting this whole of government effort,” Hegseth stated in the directive.
The full memo is available on the Pentagon website.
Provided by Dallas Express
