Release date: 7/24/2018
(RALEIGH) Attorney General Josh Stein is urging Congress to improve national cybersecurity and protect the integrity of the upcoming 2018 election and all future elections against cyberattacks and infiltrations. U.S. intelligence officials have concluded that in 2016, Russian government hackers targeted America’s elections systems, including stealing the private information of hundreds of thousands of voters and infiltrating a company that supplies voting software across the nation. Attorney General Stein urges Congress to take several measures to help protect against similar — or worse — attacks in the future.
“The most basic fundamental right of our democracy is the right to vote. It is imperative to have that vote accurately counted and reflected in elections,” said Attorney General Josh Stein. “We must remain vigilant and Congress must act so the public can continue to have confidence that our elections are fair and secure.”
Attorney General Stein, part of a bipartisan coalition of 21 attorneys general, asks Congress for three key steps to address election security concerns:
- Prioritizing and acting on election-security legislation. The Secure Elections Act (S.2261) that is currently before the Senate may be a first step to addressing some of these concerns.
- Increasing funding for the Election Assistance Commission to support election security improvements at the state level and to protect the personal data of the voters of our states. Many states lack the resources and tools they need to protect the polls during this year’s upcoming elections. Additional funding for voting infrastructure will not only allow states to upgrade election systems, but will also allow for a comprehensive security risk assessment.
- Supporting the development of cybersecurity standards for voting systems to prevent potential future foreign attacks. It is critical that there be a combined effort between governments and security experts to protect against the increased cyberthreats posed by foreign entities seeking to weaken our institutions.
Joining Attorney General Stein in sending the letter are 20 other attorneys general, including the Attorneys General of California, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Washington.
A copy of the letter can be found here.
Contact:
Laura Brewer (919) 716-6484
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