Communications of the ACM
Volunteer Hacker Army Boosts U.S. Election Cybersecurity
he Election Cyber Surge initiative aims to strengthen U.S. election security by enlisting qualified experts to aid local election officials
Credit: Tom Brenner/Getty Images
A University of Chicago program aims to strengthen U.S. election security by enlisting qualified experts to aid local election officials who may otherwise lack access to cybersecurity services and qualified specialists.
The Election Cyber Surge initiative will allow election officials to select areas of concern, then choose from a list of professionals willing to help via phone or video chat. The initiative will start with about 50 vetted volunteers, most of whom were identified through a university database of trusted cybersecurity professionals, and who have at least 10 years of field experience. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has been warning since last fall that voter registration systems and county governments are especially vulnerable to ransomware, and criminal gangs regularly target local government networks with unpatched bugs.
From "Volunteer Hacker Army Boosts U.S. Election Cybersecurity"
NBC News (07/30/20) Kevin Collier
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