McCrary Institute’s Post

Check out this BBC article highlighting the critical need for cyber and I would add enhanced physical security in US elections at the local government level. Collaboration and transparency are vital to safeguarding our democracy. #ElectionSecurity #CyberSafety #DigitalIntegrity

Proactive Security for US Elections: Critical Priority for Counties & States With cyber threats on the rise, securing our voting systems is more critical than ever. A recent BBC article highlights the vulnerabilities and potential for interference in election systems, underscoring the need for robust cybersecurity strategies in the United States. Key Measures for US Elections: -Advanced Security Protocols: Regular system audits and updates to prevent breaches. -Training: Comprehensive cybersecurity training for election officials. -Collaboration: Partnering with federal agencies and cybersecurity experts to stay ahead of threats. -Transparency: Keeping the public informed about measures taken to protect their votes. By prioritizing these measures, we can safeguard our democratic processes and ensure the integrity of US elections. #CyberSecurity #ElectionSecurity #ProactiveMeasures #DigitalSafety #SecureVoting #USElections

🔒In the political, military, and sensitive corporate sectors, strong operational security (OpSec) protocols are more important than ever as the US prepares for its impending elections. In the current 3.0 era, information is highly precious and frequently has monetary value. Preserving organizational and national integrity became a growing challenge as the tools for transparency evolved. Transparency, as promoted by certain personalities, isn't always about defending democracy's interests but rather about the need for control by some lobbies and other political players. That's why, and to preserve public confidence in decision-makers, it becomes more and more essential for democracies to implement strict and serious OpSec procedures, as the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has emphasized with the production of new OpSec guidance targeted at protecting electoral infrastructure, for instance. Previous incidents have highlighted the dangers of information hacking, particularly during the 2016 US elections, where sensitive data leaks severely damaged the public's trust. Information leaks during elections or wars, such as the current one against Hamas, can have a serious impact on an election's results or the success of military operations. These illustrations underscore the pressing need for robust OpSec measures in democracies. Democracies, unlike dictatorships, are more vulnerable to various uses of information by both internal and external parties. Internal: to depose the power from the hands of the current government; external: by several external agents that would have an interest in the failure of certain regimes. At a military level, the recent exposure of military intelligence obtained during a number of international conflicts shows how adversaries take advantage of lax security controls to achieve strategic disadvantages and operational failures. The Snowden case and its relations with the Russian regime are some of the best examples. Even so, decision-makers often fail to see the importance of strict OpSec procedures. Could it be a lack of knowledge or interest in the subject? Many people either do not notice the potential implications of compromised information or do not completely understand the dangers. We are able to safeguard confidential data, reinforce our defenses, and ensure a more secure environment for everyone by putting effective OpSec strategies into practice. Security shouldn't become an afterthought in our Western countries; it must be a vital component if we want to maintain the integrity of our democratic system. Securing information and preventing its accessibility is a means of preserving democracy, so our leaders have to be attentive in their understanding of cyberthreats. #OpSec #CyberSecurity #ElectionIntegrity https://lnkd.in/dmFDZsvz

The Information Commissioners Office (ICO) has formally reprimanded The Electoral Commision as personal details of millions of UK voters were left "vulnerable to hackers"🫣 The hackers had access to this data for over a year between 2021 and 2022 but have since been kicked out. This comes as a result of passwords not being changed and software not being updated, an issue that the Electoral Commission claims to have since fixed🛠️ Read more: https://lnkd.in/g3dJYuxD #ico #cyberattack #cybernews #bbcnews #cybersecurity #CybersecurityRisk #cybersecurityexpert

🗳️Voting Vanguards🗳️ ICYMI: CISA published a comprehensive "Guide to Operational Security for Election Officials," aiming to bolster the security of U.S. election infrastructure. 🛡️ The guide provides a detailed overview of operational security (OPSEC) measures within the electoral context, emphasizing the identification and protection of sensitive information that could be compromised by threat actors. This vulnerability can jeopardize the duties of election workers, expose voters' personally identifiable information, and grant unauthorized access to critical systems. 👩💼 To combat these risks, the guide suggests integrating OPSEC principles into daily election operations and cultivating a culture of security awareness among election staff. By understanding how adversaries might view sensitive data, election officials can more effectively assess and mitigate potential threats. CISA also supports election workers with training in secure practices, incident response planning, and de-escalation techniques, positioning this guide as a crucial tool to safeguard the integrity and transparency of elections. 👇 Click the link below to view and download a full copy of the guide for yourself and let us know in the comments your thoughts on election security and how we can address the vulnerabilities of tomorrow, today. #CISA #election #electionsecurity #cybersecurity #vote #votersecurity #electioninfrastructure #vulnerabilities #technology #riskmitigation #threatactors https://buff.ly/3xTmkpa

From hostile foreign entities to home-grown conspiracy theorists, the landscape of election security is more complex and perilous than ever before. In simple terms: brace yourself. Collaborative vigilance can help – check out our advice for navigating the cybersecurity minefield of election season: https://ow.ly/H0J650R57ja

Exclusive: A high-level election security group is back. NSA and Cyber Command want to keep it under the radar https://lnkd.in/eKFpHQZ9

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the FBI have issued a joint statement reassuring the public that recent Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks, aimed at disrupting state election websites, will not impact the integrity of the U.S. elections. These DDoS attacks, while disruptive, are not capable of altering vote counts, voter registration data, or the overall election results. CISA and the FBI emphasize that they are working closely with election officials to mitigate these threats and maintain the security of the election infrastructure, ensuring that the voting process remains secure and reliable. #CISA #FBI #DDoS #ElectionSecurity #CyberSecurity #USElection #ElectionIntegrity #InfoSec #CyberThreats #ProtectDemocracy

CISA Recommends Operational Security Principles for Protecting Voter Information, Election Data From Threats - Executive Gov: CISA Recommends Operational Security Principles for Protecting Voter Information, Election Data From Threats  Executive Gov #CyberSecurity #InfoSec #SecurityInsights

🚨 Unveiling the Top 12 Breaches of 2023 - Episode 8 📆 August 2023: UK Electoral Commission Data Breach August unveiled a significant #cyber intrusion targeting the UK Electoral Commission, an entity crucial for overseeing elections and political finance regulation. Despite the attack unfolding in 2021, its revelation in October 2022 underscores the persistence and sophistication of the cyber threat landscape. 🔍 Nature of the Breach: Unauthorized access exposed internal emails, control systems, and copies of electoral registers housing voter #data. The registers contained names and addresses of UK voters between 2014 and 2022, impacting an estimated 40 million individuals annually. Concerns mount about potential misuse, posing risks to the democratic process. 🌐 Sophistication and Evasion Tactics: Deemed sophisticated, hostile actors utilized evasive software, showcasing the evolving tactics of cyber adversaries. The delayed identification of the #breach highlights the adaptability and persistence of cyber threats, emphasizing the challenges organizations face in defending against sophisticated infiltration methods. 🤝 Collaborative Response and Security Enhancements: In response, the Electoral Commission collaborated with the NCSC, law enforcement, and experts to investigate and secure systems. The incident triggered improvements to IT security, underscoring ongoing efforts to fortify the resilience of democratic institutions against #cyberthreats. 🛡️ Takeaway: The UK Electoral Commission data breach serves as a poignant reminder of the continuous challenges in safeguarding sensitive voter data. It underscores the imperative for resilient cybersecurity practices to protect democratic processes and maintain public trust in electoral systems. #entersoft #DataBreach #CyberResilience #databreach #datasecurity #cybersecurity #itsecurity #information #applicationsecurity