October 1, 2016 | No Comments
Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson on Saturday sought to reassure states that federal help is available amid cybersecurity concerns in the run-up to the presidential election.
“In recent months, malicious cyber actors have been scanning a large number of state systems, which could be a preamble to attempted intrusions,” Johnson said in a statement. “In a few cases, we have determined that malicious actors gained access to state voting-related systems. However, we are not aware at this time of any manipulation of data.”
Johnson praised a bipartisan letter from congressional leaders endorsing the need for state election officials to take advantage of available federal cybersecurity resources, while pushing back on critics who have warned of a federal takeover of the electoral process.
“Such assistance by DHS does not mean federal regulation or binding federal directives over state systems of any kind. By its nature, the assistance DHS provides is upon request, and voluntary for the recipient,” Johnson adds.
Johnson’s statement comes a day after it was reported that hackers have tested state voter registration systems in more than 20 states, which a DHS official referred to as a “probing of concern.”
Cybersecurity concerns have grown in the past several months following a series of suspected Russian hacks and subsequent leaks targeting the Democratic National Committee among others.
“We must remain vigilant and continue to address these challenges head on,” Johnson said. “Before November 8, I urge state and local election officials to seek our cybersecurity assistance. So far, 21 states have contacted us about our services. We hope to see more.”