- Pete Hegseth has issued election security guidance to defense leaders
- U.S. Cyber Command to coordinate with DHS on foreign cyberthreats
- The memo covers four defense intelligence and cyber organizations
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, a two-time Wash100 awardee, has issued a memorandum directing the Department of War to apply its intelligence and cyber capabilities to protect U.S. election infrastructure from interference by foreign adversaries.
What Does the Memo Direct?
DOW said Monday the memo, dated Sept. 22, is addressed to the leaders of USCYBERCOM, the National Security Agency, the Defense Intelligence Agency and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. Its directives include the following:
- USCYBERCOM and the directors of the combat support agencies will prioritize DOW intelligence and cyber capabilities to keep foreign actors from interfering with U.S. democratic systems.
- The Defense Intelligence Enterprise, or DIE, will carry out collection and production on foreign election threats in line with law, regulation, executive direction and DOW policies and directives.
- USCYBERCOM will apply its existing authorities, capabilities and competencies in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security to counter potential cyberthreats from foreign actors targeting U.S. elections.
- The entire DIE will mobilize all authorized assets, capabilities and partnerships to defend election infrastructure against foreign malign influence and help ensure lawful voters can cast ballots without foreign intimidation, coercion or fear.
What Did DOW Officials Say About the Memo?
“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,” said Sean Parnell, chief spokesman for the Pentagon.
Gen. Joshua Rudd, commander of U.S. Cyber Command and director of NSA, said USCYBERCOM and NSA will work closely together to identify and defend against cyber threats, including those posed by foreign actors seeking to interfere in elections.
“The command and the agency regularly counter actions by malicious foreign cyber actors including those with the intent to interfere with our democratic process,” added Rudd, a 2026 Wash100 awardee.
How Does the DOW Memo Fit Into Broader Federal Election Security Efforts?
The DOW memo builds on earlier administration actions targeting foreign election threats. In July, President Trump released declassified intelligence on foreign election interference, which the White House said shows that China, Russia, Iran and North Korea can compromise U.S. election infrastructure.
Two months earlier, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence named Dave Mastro and James Cangialosi as joint election threats executive to coordinate intelligence community efforts against foreign interference in the midterms. The effort also aligns with President Trump’s national cyber strategy, released in March, which calls for offensive and defensive cyber operations to disrupt hostile networks.
