As reported by KTVH, Montana has appointed its first cyber warfare officer, Chief Warrant Officer Joshua Williams. This move aims to improve the state’s proactive cyber defense capabilities. 

“We have seen warfare utilize not just kinetic but cyber-attacks as well to support their endgame and their goals, so being able to anticipate what our adversaries are doing in the cyber landscape is critical to our ability to conduct warfare,” Williams stated.

Williams has experience in managing cyber threats, with cyberattacks such as the 2019 incident against Thompson Falls schools and the 2023 incident at Montana State University under his belt. 

The establishment of the state’s first cyber warfare officer aims to defend Montana’s critical infrastructure against attacks.