NDAA FY21 - CYBERSECURITY WITH A NATIONAL GUARD AND THREAT HUNTING FOCUS

On June 23, 2020, the amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act for FY21 were finally revealed. The NDAA makes cyber resiliency and threat hunting capabilities a significant priority for the Department of Defense and its partners. Perhaps in response to the limited workforce pool at the national level, the NDAA directs DoD to re-evaluate situations in which National Guard cyber forces can respond to cyber attacks while receiving federal pay and entitlements, as well as coordinate response efforts and training with other federal agencies on cybersecurity missions. Furthermore, the NDAA signals that the Defense Industrial Base should be prepared to participate in threat hunting activities.