Although the National Guard is perhaps the best-equipped unit in the military to assist the government in the event of a cyber emergency, the Department of Defense (DoD) does not have the necessary visibility into the capabilities of those assets, according to a report released earlier this week by the Government Accountability Office (GAO).
The DoD has "not maintained a database that identifies the National Guard units' cyber-related emergency response capabilities, as required by law," the report stated.
The GAO recommended that DoD: maintain a database that identifies National Guard cyber capabilities, conduct exercises to prepare its forces in the event of a disaster with cyber effects, and address challenges from prior exercises.
Although the DoD agreed with some of the report's recommendations, it determined that current procedures are sufficient.
However, the GAO disagreed and the watchdog agency urged adoption of its report's recommendations.
