The New Hampshire National Guard is standing up a new cybersecurity unit at its Pembroke base, part of a nationwide Pentagon initiative to bolster cyber defense capabilities at the state level and protect critical infrastructure from increasingly sophisticated digital threats.
The unit, designated the 197th Cyber Protection Team, will consist of 39 soldiers with expertise in network defense, threat intelligence, digital forensics, and incident response. It is one of 12 new state-level cyber units being established across the country under the Department of Defense’s Cyber Mission Force expansion.
“Cyber threats don’t respect state borders, but our response needs to be local as well as national,” said Brigadier General David Mikolaities, the state’s adjutant general. “This unit gives New Hampshire a dedicated capability to defend our own networks and critical infrastructure.”
The unit will support both federal cyber operations when mobilized by the Pentagon and state-level cyber defense missions under the governor’s authority. In the state role, the team could assist in responding to cyberattacks on government systems, utilities, hospitals, and other critical infrastructure.
New Hampshire has seen a marked increase in cyberattacks targeting state and local government systems in recent years. A 2024 ransomware attack on a municipal government in the southern part of the state disrupted services for weeks and underscored the vulnerability of local systems.
“Every municipality, every hospital, every water system is a potential target,” said state Chief Information Security Officer Denis Goulet. “Having a Guard cyber team that understands our specific environment and can respond quickly is a game-changer.”
Many of the unit’s members are being recruited from New Hampshire’s technology sector, bringing civilian cybersecurity expertise into the military framework. The Guard is offering competitive bonuses and tuition assistance to attract qualified candidates.
The unit is expected to reach full operational capability by early 2027, following an intensive training program that includes exercises at the Army’s Cyber Center of Excellence at Fort Eisenhower in Georgia.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen, who sits on the Armed Services Committee, praised the establishment of the unit. “New Hampshire’s National Guard is gaining a critical new capability that will protect our state and strengthen our national security.”
