Leaning Forward: Idaho National Guard Forges Cyber Defense Through Realistic Training

In an era where threats are just as likely to be identified in cyberspace as on the battlefield, the Idaho National Guard is redefining what it means to protect and defend. Through exercises like Cyber Discovery, the Guard is not only training its members to respond to cyber threats but also forging critical partnerships with state agencies, educational institutions and fellow military units from across the country.

Soldiers from the Idaho Army National Guard, South Dakota Army National Guard and Alaska National Guard joined with civilian experts from Saint Luke’s, Boise State University and the City of Nampa to conduct Cyber Discovery 2025 May 16 to June 12. The exercise was hosted by the State of Idaho Office of Information Technology Services at the state’s Chinden Campus in Boise. 

“Cyber Discovery is essentially a joint cyber exercise where the military division and executive branches of Idaho come together,” said Warrant Officer 1 Seth Gaskins, a member of the Idaho Army National Guard and one of the key figures behind the collaborative exercise. “It’s an annual training event designed to stress test the state’s cyber capabilities while helping Airmen and Soldiers improve their skill sets on offensive cyber capabilities.”

Unlike many training events that rely on controlled, simulated environments, Cyber Discovery pushes participants into a more realistic digital battlefield, according to Gaskins. 

“Cyber Shield is a great event but it’s largely simulated,” said Gaskins, referencing a well known national cyber exercise. “Cyber Discovery is different. It uses real networks and real-world vulnerabilities. It’s dynamic. There’s someone on the other side pushing back in real time.”

This year’s exercise pitted a “red team” simulating a coordinated cyber attack by a foreign adversary against a “blue team” tasked with detecting the threat and executing a incident response plan. The scenario offers Airmen and Soldiers a rare opportunity to train in a highly realistic, high-pressure environment that closely mirrors the challenges of real-world cyber warfare.

 “Real world events happen every day, just because we don’t hear about it, does not mean it’s not being dealt with,” said Gaskins. “Cyber Discovery is used as a controlled live threat that simulates real world actions.”

Cyber Discovery is just one of several cyber exercises the Idaho National Guard engages in. Gaskins also leads monthly outreach missions where state organizations invite his team to identify and assess potential vulnerabilities in their systems. These collaborative efforts not only provide a valuable stress test for the organizations’ cyber defenses but also gives Guard members critical hands-on experience in real world environments.

As cyber threats continue to evolve in complexity and scale, the Idaho National Guard remains committed to staying ahead of the curve by training its personnel on the front lines of digital defense and building lasting partnerships that strengthen the state’s cyber resilience. In Idaho, the fight to secure cyberspace is already underway and the Idaho National Guard is leading the way forward.