War Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the military’s cyber and intelligence agencies to prioritize defending the November midterm elections against foreign interference, according to a Sept. 22 memo, Axios reported. The one-page memorandum, titled “Countering Foreign Threats to 2026 Elections,” is addressed to the commander of U.S. Cyber Command and the directors of the National Security Agency, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.
“Commander U.S. Cyber Command and the Directors of the Combat Support Agencies will prioritize the use of DoW intelligence and cyber capabilities to ensure foreign actors do not meddle in our democratic systems,” Hegseth wrote, using the administration’s name for the Department of War. The memo directs the Defense Intelligence Enterprise to collect and produce intelligence on foreign threats to the elections “in accordance with the law, regulation, Executive direction, and DoW policies and directives.” It also orders Cyber Command to use its existing authorities, working with the Department of Homeland Security, to counter cyber threats from foreign actors.
