Overview
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memorandum dated Sept. 22 that was made public Monday directing U.S. Cyber Command and the Defense Intelligence Enterprise to prioritize defending the 2026 midterm elections from foreign interference.
- The memo tells Cyber Command to operate under existing authorities, to work with the Department of Homeland Security, and tasks defense intelligence to collect and produce information on foreign threats to elections.
- Officials said the effort will use advanced cyber operations and artificial intelligence to detect, disrupt, and neutralize foreign influence campaigns and potential cyberattacks on election infrastructure.
- The memo does not name specific foreign adversaries, nor does it provide new funding, extra staffing, or firm implementation deadlines, prompting experts to question whether the short timeline will allow effective action.
- Critics note that cuts and reorganizations to civilian election‑security capacity in 2025 have reduced CISA, FBI task force, and ODNI resources, which could shift more operational burden to federal cyber and intelligence teams and leave state and local officials with less direct federal support.