The Trump administration is attempting to rebuild the federal system designed to protect US elections, less than 100 days before Election Day. This comes after the administration dismantled the system and forced out many experienced election-security specialists.

Election Security Concerns

State and local election officials are skeptical that the administration can deliver the necessary support to secure the midterm elections. They have had to rely on private cybersecurity vendors and their own resources to fill the gaps left by the federal government.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has been depleted of staff and resources, making it difficult for the agency to provide the necessary support to states. Despite this, CISA acting Director Nick Andersen says the agency will provide cyber resources to states, including information about available no-cost voluntary services.

State and Local Efforts

State and local election officials have taken steps to secure election infrastructure, including setting up table-top exercises and retooling information-sharing processes. However, they acknowledge that they have not been able to replicate the federal government’s ability to coordinate intelligence gathering and analysis across multiple federal agencies.

Original reporting: KRDO (Colorado Springs metro) — read the source article.