cybersecurity
State elections officials struggle with paper shortages, harassment, insider threats
MADISON, Wis. — Elections officials from 33 states, gathered for a conference under tight security, warned that the next few election cycles will be affected by paper shortages and the potential for threats from inside elections offices. The meeting of the National Association of State Elections Directors this week was held with stringent security precautions, […]
U.S. House passes bill requiring report on federal cyberattack response
The U.S. House has easily passed a bill that would require the Department of Homeland Security to evaluate its cybersecurity capability. The House voted 313-105 Monday to approve the bill, sponsored by Nebraska Republican Don Bacon. The vote escaped the typical partisan divide in Congress. Majorities of both parties supported the measure, with dozens of each […]
Dems to introduce cybersecurity legislation for unemployment system
Democratic legislators say the first step in solving cybersecurity issues in the state unemployment system is admitting there’s a problem. State Reps. Jeffrey Crossman, D-Parma, and Lisa Sobecki, D-Toledo, say the state’s unemployment system “has compromised personal information and resulted in untold thousands of dollars stolen from deserving recipients” and that the Ohio Department of […]
Cyberattack on New Hampshire school district illustrates growing threat to states and localities
WASHINGTON — In October 2019, officials at a tiny western New Hampshire school district suddenly realized they had a problem on their hands. The Sunapee School District’s servers, documents and other internal information systems had been locked down by an outside entity demanding a ransom payment. A cyberattack, like the Colonial Pipeline one that spurred days […]
Mail-in ballots are safe from fraud, but other aspects of election system are vulnerable to attack
There is no evidence, despite partisan claims to the contrary, that mail-in ballots are rife with voting fraud — but there are parts of the election system that security researchers say are at far greater risk for malicious activity. National elections like the one in November, when Americans will decide whether Donald Trump or Joe […]