A major election systems vendor on Thursday announced steps to boost the security of its products, just one day after lawmakers raised concerns that the company is not doing enough to safeguard itself from hackers. Election Systems and Software (ES&S), which is the third largest election system vendor in the U.S., announced it will work more closely with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Information Sharing and Analysis Centers (ISAC) in an effort to increase security of its systems ahead of the 2018 midterm elections. The company in a press release said it has formed “new partnerships with multiple DHS offices that include its key cyber office known as the National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) as well as the National Cybersecurity Assessment and Technical Services (NCATS).
… The press release comes just one day after a bipartisan group of lawmakers on the Senate Intelligence Committee raised concernsWednesday about ES&S election voting systems, questioning whether they are doing enough to secure its systems as well as expressing disappointed that the company has not agreed to undergo independent testing to determine the security level of its systems.
“We are concerned that ES&S and other election system providers may not be prepared for the growing threats to our elections,” Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), James Lankford (R-Okla.), and Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) wrote in a letter to the company.
The senators had criticized ES&S for its refusal to allow independent testing of its systems at the popular annual DEFCON convention, where hackers attempted to find ways to exploit voting technology.
Full Article: Major vendor of voting systems to boost security following criticism | TheHill.