The US military is targeting foreign actors to defend the presidential election

U.S. Cyber Command is working in foreign networks to disrupt malicious activity and share intelligence with partners as a way to protect the integrity of the Nov. 3 presidential election.

Gen. Paul Nakasone, the head of Cyber Command and the National Security Agency, has said the defense of the 2020 election is his No. 1 priority. Following allegations by U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia tried to interfere in the 2016 election — a fact the Kremlin denies — there has been consternation about what the broader U.S. government, and especially the Department of Defense, can do to protect the democratic process. Furthermore, the defense secretary, Mark Esper, has said that securing America’s elections is now an enduring mission for his department.