National Guard could be America’s next cyber defenders

By Joel Gehrke

Published September 18, 2017 4:01am ET

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National Guard could be America’s next cyber defenders — Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-WA) has introduced legislation that would mandate the formation of "cybersecurity civil support teams" within the Air and Army National Guard nationwide. | (CQ Roll Call via AP Images)

Computer experts at some of the most important companies in the U.S. are getting a lesson in humility, courtesy of an elite unit in the Washington Air National Guard.

“We basically hacked a utility company about three years ago, and we’re actually working on a plan right now to do another one,” Col. Gent Welsh, the top commander for the Guard wing that contains the crack cyber operatives, told the Washington Examiner.

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