US federal programme offers new cybersecurity tool for elections

The inside of a computer. Thirty state election offices in the United States have already integrated endpoint detection and response tools. — AP

ATLANTA: State and local officials are receiving additional tools from the US federal government to help defend the nation’s election systems from cyberthreats ahead of the November vote, as intelligence officials continue to warn about foreign efforts to interfere in the US election.

Under a US$2.2mil (RM9.24mil) pilot programme that began in March, the US Department of Homeland Security’s cybersecurity agency in partnership with the Center for Internet Security has been deploying software to election offices. It is then placed on devices, including laptops and servers used for voter registration and reporting vote totals, to detect malicious activity. The programme was highlighted during a congressional hearing on Aug 4.