“Valuable resources are spent investigating and responding to cyber incidents that could have easily been prevented,” the Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology declares in its analysis of a recently proposed amendment.

Looking to change this narrative, Lindsey Graham and Amy Klobuchar banded together to create and propose an amendment that will address the non-partisan issue plaguing the United States: insecurity of election systems. The proposed amendment would amend H.R. 2810 and give states the option of applying for Election Technology Improvement Grants that can be used to modernize and improve their voting systems.

To receive a grant, states must meet specific requirements, including:

  • The adherence to best practices in cybersecurity and cyber-hygiene;
  • The development, submission and publication of plans for election system modernization and enhancements, and;
  • Undergo Security Risk and Vulnerability Assessments conducted by the Department of Homeland Security. 

In addition, there may be other requirements established by the amendment and the collaborative, federal-state commission of stakeholders.

The current election systems are “predominately amalgamations of insecure and obsolete …  technology, poorly designed black-box proprietary code, and hastily constructed applications” that “lack native security applications commensurate with the modern threat landscape,” ICIT reports.

The implementation of the proposed amendment, according to ICIT, would allow for the modernization and reformation of America’s national election cyber-culture while enabling improved transparency, communication, information sharing and oversight.

About Rachael Kalinyak

Rachael Kalinyak is an editorial intern with Network Solutions.

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