Given the current state of cybersecurity angst and the high level of associated panic about hacks and leaks and data breaches – oh my – it shouldn’t be too surprising that all eyes are on the upcoming presidential election; both as a matter of intense interest as well as considerable concern for those both in government and the cybersecurity industry. Republican candidate Donald Trump has already offered up his theory, namely that the upcoming election will be in some way fixed in Hillary Clinton’s favor.
Perhaps in light of this comment, along with the fact that NATO has publicly declared cyberspace to be the next domain of war, the Federal Government is offering assistance to state governments to help them counter potential election fraud this in November.
In an August 3rd interview, Trump warned voters that the Nov. 8 election could very well be subject to fraud.
“I mean people are going to walk in, they’re going to vote 10 times maybe. Who knows? They’re going to vote 10 times,” Trump said. “So I am very concerned, and I hope the Republicans are going to be very watchful.”
Federal officials urged states to follow the federal recommendations to prevent irregular activity on Election Day, such as insuring that electronic voting machines are not connected to the Internet while actual voting is taking place.
There are any number of precautions to take, and the Department of Homeland Security feels that one of the ways the department can help is by offering training to help state voting employees and volunteers recognize spearfishing campaigns and other irregular emails so they don’t open them, and inadvertently open the door to a breach or malware.
Jeh Johnson, the current United States Secretary of Homeland Security, has also said federal cybersecurity officials can electronically scan systems for irregularities. On another level, the department is reportedly considering raising electoral systems to the status of “critical infrastructure,” Johnson said, which would then give officials added authority and options to defend the system as a whole. In a conference call with the National Association of Secretaries of State, he also mentioned the Voting Infrastructure Cybersecurity Action Plan Campaign, which is designed to “raise awareness of cybersecurity risks potentially affecting voting infrastructure.”
If there are any irregularities in the process, it is pretty much a given that the losing party will point fingers at the other party, and perhaps even refer to Trump’s suggestions about potential improprieties. Aside from the fact that voters deserve a fair and well-conducted election process, any charges of mismanagement, data breaches or other problems after the fact by the losing party will only serve to further muddy the political waters and erode voter confidence. Therefore, it would behoove each state to reach out to the federal government for help if there is even an inkling that something might go wrong with the process.
