CISA Launches Major Effort to Secure the 2024 U.S. Elections

 

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) in the United States has initiated a comprehensive campaign to secure the 2024 elections. This effort involves deploying specialized advisory teams across the nation and coordinating security exercises with federal, state, and local officials, as well as with private sector partners. Cait Conley, a senior adviser at CISA, emphasized that securing the elections is a priority that involves the entire agency. 

In preparation for the 2024 national elections, CISA created election security adviser positions within its ten regional offices in July 2023 to offer frontline support to local election officials. These advisers are now fully in place and work closely with state election offices to provide guidance and assistance. The agency recently organized a four-day workshop, “Tabletop the Vote,” to enhance readiness against both cyber and physical threats. Conley noted that CISA is investing more resources than ever before to safeguard election infrastructure. 

This builds on the agency’s past successes in securing the 2016 and 2020 elections, which saw the implementation of advanced threat detection and response measures that thwarted interference attempts by foreign adversaries, including Russia. CISA is also preparing for new threats. Recently, the agency warned of increased cyber activity from Iran aimed at disrupting the upcoming election cycle. The Department of Homeland Security has classified election infrastructure as critical to national security, underscoring the importance of protecting voter registration databases, information technology systems, polling places, and voting machines. 

To support this mission, CISA has introduced several tools and resources designed to enhance election security. These include a comprehensive cybersecurity toolkit through the Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative and a “Rumor vs. Reality” platform to counter disinformation about elections. Over the past several years, the agency has also rolled out free services like vulnerability scanning and physical security assessments to minimize risks to election systems. 

CISA Director Jen Easterly highlighted the significant improvements in the agency’s capabilities compared to 2016. As the 2024 elections approach, CISA remains committed to deploying its resources and strengthening partnerships to protect the democratic process from evolving threats. The agency’s continued efforts aim to ensure that election infrastructure remains secure against any potential interference.