Governor Andrew Cuomo today announced new
actions to further protect the integrity of New York’s electoral
process amidst reports of Russian interference in the U.S. 2016
election. Governor Cuomo has directed the New York State Cyber Security
Advisory Board to work with State agencies and the State and County
Boards of Election to assess the threats to the cyber security of New
York’s elections infrastructure, identify security priorities, and
recommend any necessary additional security measures. To date, there
have been no credible reports of electoral system disruptions in New
York.
“The integrity of the electoral system is
essential to a functioning democracy, and with those core American
principles under attack, we must take decisive action to safeguard
democratic integrity and expand voting rights,” Governor Cuomo said. “In
New York, we have taken aggressive action to reform our electoral
system and restore people’s trust in government. Recent reports of
foreign hacking on the American electoral system are highly disturbing,
and New York will do everything in its power to continue to secure our
electoral system and protect the sanctity of our elections. In the
absence of a concerted federal response, New York State is stepping up
to ensure we are prepared for the serious cyber threats facing our
electoral system.”
Governor Cuomo created the Cyber Security
Advisory Board in 2013 to ensure the State maintains a cutting-edge
strategy to keep New Yorkers safe from cyber threats. The Board is
comprised of world-renowned cyber security experts who advise the
administration and make recommendations for protecting the state’s
critical infrastructure and information systems. These experts in
include:
Richard Clarke, Chairman and CEO, Good Harbor Consulting, LLC and former Special Advisor to the President for Cyber Security
Shawn Henry, President and Chief Security Officer, CrowdStrike Services
William Pelgrin, Founder of the
Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC), CEO of
CyberWA, Inc., and Board Director and Global Strategic Advisor for
Global Cyber Alliance
Philip Reitinger, President, Global Cyber
Dr. Peter Bloniarz, former Dean of
the College of Computing and Information at the University at Albany and
Executive Director of the Cyber Security Advisory Board.
At the Governor’s direction, the Cyber
Security Advisory Board will work with the Department of Motor Vehicles,
the State Office of Information Technology Services, and the State and
County Boards of Elections to identify high level risks the State may
face in coming elections, as well as any potential vulnerabilities that
could be rectified though new policies or additional investments at the
state level.
The Board will report its findings and make recommendations to the Governor and State Board of Elections in 90 days.
These actions are only the latest in an
extensive number of steps undertaken by New York State since reports of
potential Russian interference began to surface prior to the 2016
election. Through a partnership between the Executive Branch, the State
Board of Elections, the New York State Association of Counties, and the
Federal Bureau of Investigation, the State Intelligence Center worked
closely with the State and County Boards of Elections to protect their
systems and develop secure voting website backup plans. These included a
comprehensive security review of the DMV’s Electronic Voter
Registration system, scanning the State Board of Elections systems for
potential vulnerabilities, and advanced monitoring of network traffic
and system logs at the State Board of Elections.
The NYS Intelligence Center established a
24-hour call center where counties could report and receive assistance
for potential disruptions, supported by secure communications channels
that connected New York with resources from federal agencies and other
states. Additionally, weekly briefings were held throughout the election
cycle to monitor threats and further coordination among partners.
Source: Press Office, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
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