NEBRASKA GUARD CYBER TEAM HELPS RESTORE ESSENTIAL SERVICES IN NORTH PLATTE
NORTH PLATTE, Neb. — An 11-Soldier Nebraska Army National Guard team helped restore essential city and county services and strengthen network defenses during a state active-duty response Oct. 9–13, 2026, following a cyber incident affecting North Platte and Lincoln County.
The team combined members of the 179th Cyber Protection Team’s Nebraska element with the Nebraska Defensive Cyber Operations Element. Working alongside local information technology personnel and state partners, the Soldiers supported the return of network connectivity early Oct. 12, approximately 36 hours after arriving on site and less than 60 hours after receipt of the formal request for forces. Service checks continued through the morning.
Gov. Jim Pillen signed an emergency proclamation Oct. 9 authorizing the adjutant general to deploy the Guard’s cyber protection team. The Nebraska Emergency Management Agency coordinated with state and local partners to support the response.
“This team has the knowledge and specialized training to deal with situations like this,” Pillen said in the Oct. 9 announcement.
The response brought the Soldiers together with city administrators, the Nebraska Office of the Chief Information Officer and an external cybersecurity provider. Local personnel supplied knowledge of the affected systems, while the Guard added technical expertise and military planning to help organize recovery and defensive actions.
Restoration priorities reflected the services residents depended on. Municipal business systems supported payroll and routine government operations. Reduced transit telephone capability complicated ride coordination for people with disabilities over the holiday weekend. Police mapping capabilities and remote access supporting wastewater operations were also among the concerns identified during the response. Emergency 911 call-taking continued.
MAJ Joshua Hull, commander of the 179th Cyber Protection Team, focused the military effort on restoring essential services while maintaining protection against further threats. That required the team to assess the network, strengthen defenses and monitor suspicious activity at the same time.
Soldiers investigated malicious activity, helped restrict compromised accounts and identified access paths, and supported system updates and defensive changes. They also expanded security monitoring so personnel could watch critical systems as services returned.
As recovery work intensified, the team organized two shifts for sustained overnight operations. Some Soldiers maintained the defensive watch while others supported recovery, strengthened systems and documented findings. The arrangement allowed the small force to support restoration while continuing to monitor for threats.
The Soldiers briefed city and state partners Oct. 12 and provided findings, remaining risks and recommendations for continued recovery and defense. Local personnel and the external security operations center continued monitoring after the military team’s departure.
“Good teamwork made all the difference,” North Platte Mayor Brandon Kelliher said in remarks reported by KNOP on Oct. 16.
MAJ Hull credited years of cyber training and partnership engagements with helping prepare the team for the mission. Cyber Shield exercises provided opportunities to practice collective cyber defense, while Nebraska’s State Partnership Program relationship with the Czech Republic supported repeated exchanges on planning, risk assessment and operational coordination.
Since 2019, those exchanges helped Hull refine the operational framework he later taught within the 179th. At North Platte, the team applied that framework to identify critical services, prioritize protective actions and adjust its plan as conditions changed. The mission brought lessons developed through international security cooperation into a response supporting Nebraska communities.
The deployment also put federally funded military training and cyber expertise to work during a state emergency. The Soldiers provided technical assistance and defensive products that supported immediate recovery and gave local personnel recommendations for longer-term improvements.
The mission concluded Oct. 13. The 179th documented lessons from the response to improve its own readiness and help other cyber protection teams prepare to support communities facing similar incidents.
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