Cyber Shield 2026 validates Guard cyber readiness for critical infrastructure defense

Cyber Shield 2026 validates Guard cyber readiness for critical infrastructure defense

By Maj. Cibeles Ramírez-Rodríguez, National Guard Bureau

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - More than 1\,000 cyber professionals from the military\, government\, industry and 23 partner nations tested their ability to defend critical infrastructure against realistic cyberattacks during Cyber Shield 2026.

Held July 12-25 at the National Guard Professional Education Center at Camp Robinson, the annual exercise is the Defense Department’s longest-running and largest unclassified cyber defense exercise, bringing together participants from 44 states and territories. Of the more than 1,000 participants, more than 800 were military personnel from the National Guard, active-component forces and reserve components, training alongside civilian specialists, government agencies, private-sector experts and international partners.

More than a year of planning and 300 personnel supported the exercise, in which cyber professionals exchanged tactics, tested capabilities and integrated military, civilian and international resources.

Cyber Shield 2026 centered on a simulated attack against electrical power infrastructure. Opposition forces replicated adversary behavior while defensive teams identified malicious activity, protected networks and responded under pressure.

Participants trained in threat hunting, malware analysis, incident response, network defense, detection engineering and cyber intelligence before applying those skills in the scenario. Teams shared information, studied adversary methods and made timely decisions under pressure.

Training extended beyond traditional information technology networks to operational technology and industrial control systems that manage physical processes in power generation, water systems and other critical infrastructure. A compromise in those systems can interrupt essential services or create physical consequences, making facility knowledge and trust with asset owners as important as technical skill.

Cyber Shield also incorporated artificial intelligence and unmanned aircraft systems, exposing participants to emerging technologies shaping intelligence collection, network defense and the protection of connected physical systems.

“Artificial intelligence is changing the pace and complexity of cyber operations, but our greatest strength has never been technology. It’s the trust we’ve built with our partners,” said Brig. Gen. Isaac Martinez, Army National Guard assistant director for intelligence and information. “Exercises like Cyber Shield, together with the State Partnership Program, give us the opportunity to learn together, integrate AI responsibly and build the relationships that allow us to respond faster and more effectively when it matters most. That’s how we maintain our collective advantage and build the interoperability, resilience and decision superiority required to succeed in large-scale mobilization operations.”

Because Guard cyber capabilities are distributed across the states and territories, Cyber Shield gave leaders a common framework to assess teams, identify gaps and determine how those capabilities could support state, homeland or national missions.

“Cyber Shield allows us to identify vulnerabilities in the critical infrastructure systems our communities rely on every day, from power grids and water treatment facilities to transportation networks and pipelines,” said Chief Warrant Officer 4 Greg Backus, deputy commander of the Cyber and Information Advantage Battalion at the National Guard Professional Education Center. “By studying how adversaries attempt to access those systems, we can strengthen our defensive capabilities, protect our states and bring together the unique capabilities of the 54 states and territories as part of the Total Army.”

Many Guard cyber professionals bring civilian expertise in cybersecurity, engineering, utilities and information technology. Cyber Shield combines that experience with military training, disciplined planning and operational requirements.

“That combination is especially important in the homeland, where critical infrastructure spans federal, state, local and private-sector networks,” Backus said. “Effective defense depends on building relationships before an incident, developing a shared understanding of risk and integrating specialized capabilities without disrupting the systems we are there to protect.”

Cyber professionals from 23 Department of War National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program nations trained alongside U.S. counterparts, exchanged threat-hunting methods and strengthened procedures for responding to threats that cross state and national borders.

“Guatemala is incredibly proud to be one of the 23 partner nations participating this year,” said Maj. Gen. Henry David Sáenz Ramos, Guatemala’s minister of national defense. “By collaborating to defend integrated information technology and operational technology networks against simulated but realistic attacks on a power grid, we are strengthening our real-world operational capabilities. This joint training ensures our digital infrastructure is prepared to confront sophisticated global adversaries.”

Chief Warrant Officer 5 Bernard Aguon, command chief warrant officer of the Army National Guard, visited Cyber Shield 2026 on July 23 to observe multinational teams and cyber professionals training together.

“Working in multinational teams strengthens interoperability and gives U.S. and partner-nation forces experience they can apply within their own organizations,” Aguon said. “Cyber Shield demonstrates how a distributed cyber force can combine military readiness, civilian expertise, industry knowledge and international partnerships to defend the systems our communities depend on every day.”

By connecting cyber professionals across states, components, agencies, industry and partner nations, the exercise strengthened a force prepared to respond when a simulated attack becomes a real threat to the nation’s critical infrastructure.