South Carolina Army National Guard strengthens cyber readiness at Cyber Fortress 2026
RICHMOND, Va. - South Carolina Army National Guard personnel participated in Cyber Fortress 2026, a multiagency cyber defense exercise hosted by Dominion Energy, Sept. 20-25, 2026, in Richmond, Virginia.
The annual exercise brought together military, federal, state, law enforcement and private-sector partners to rehearse coordinated responses to realistic cyber incidents affecting the U.S. energy sector. This marked the first year the South Carolina Army National Guard was fully integrated into the exercise.
Cyber Fortress 2026 featured a notional scenario in which an adversary invasion in a contested environment created cascading effects on Dominion Energy’s power grid. Participants responded to simulated cyber threats across information technology and operational technology environments, focusing on detection, containment, mitigation and interagency coordination.
A South Carolina Army National Guard contingent from the Defensive Cyber Operations Element supported the exercise in technical and exercise-control roles. The contingent contributed to defensive cyber operations, incident response and coordination of simulated multiagency responses. Its participation strengthened the organization’s ability to operate alongside government and industry partners during a significant cyber event affecting critical infrastructure.
The exercise included participants from the South Carolina Army National Guard, Virginia Army National Guard, Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace Command, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division’s Cyber Incident Coordination Team, Virginia State Police, U.S. Secret Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security, National Reconnaissance Office, U.S. Space Force, Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic, and industry partners including Dominion Energy, NextEra, Dragos, Splunk and Palo Alto Networks Unit 42.
Before the main exercise, South Carolina Army National Guard representatives attended a leadership tabletop exercise Sept. 17. The tabletop focused on senior-leader decision-making and organizational response to a major cyber event, complementing the technical, operator-level response conducted during Cyber Fortress.
Participation in Cyber Fortress enhanced individual and collective proficiency in critical-infrastructure defense, strengthened relationships with military, federal and industry partners, and identified lessons that can inform future South Carolina-based tabletop exercises and cyber training events.
The South Carolina Army National Guard plans to continue supporting and expanding its participation in Cyber Fortress and similar exercises to sustain readiness and strengthen the public-private partnerships essential to protecting critical infrastructure.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
