Congressional efforts to secure election systems from cyberattacks are picking up steam with lawmakers under pressure to prevent hacks in the 2018 midterms. After the revelation that Russia tried to probe election systems in 21 states in the 2016 election, security experts, state officials and others demanded federal action to help states upgrade outdated voting machines and bolster security around voter registration databases. Last week, a bipartisan coalition of six senators introduced the Secure Elections Act, which includes a measure authorizing grants for states to upgrade outdated voting technology and shore up their digital security. “It is imperative that we strengthen our election systems and give the states the tools they need to protect themselves and the integrity of voters against the possibility of foreign interference,” Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.), a Senate Intelligence Committee member, said when unveiling the bill.
Moscow’s targeting of state systems, including breaching voter registration databases in Arizona and Illinois, was part of a broader effort to meddle in the election. It led the Obama administration to designate election systems as critical infrastructure in its waning days.
The issue of Russian interference has generated significant attention in Washington over the past year, but little successful legislative action.
But the bill introduced by Sens. Lankford, Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and others is evidence of a growing effort to pass legislation specifically addressing voting infrastructure cybersecurity.
Full Article: Pressure builds to improve election cybersecurity | TheHill.