WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is prioritizing election cyber security above all other critical infrastructure it protects, the agency’s chief said on Wednesday, just months ahead of the November midterm elections.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristjen Nielsen said that her department was “prioritizing election efforts ... over all other critical infrastructure sectors,” such as the financial, energy and communication systems during testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee.
The hearing to examine the Trump administration’s efforts to improve election security came as U.S. intelligence officials have repeatedly warned that Russia will attempt to meddle in the 2018 contests after successfully doing so during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Nielsen said her agency was working with states to provide as much assistance as possible to improve their cyber security resources. More than half of 50 U.S. states have signed up for the agency’s cyber scanning services designed to detect potential weaknesses that could be targeted by hackers.
The hearing was held on the same day that lawmakers were expected to unveil a federal spending bill that sources familiar with the negotiations said included nearly $400 million for election security.
Senator Richard Burr, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said on Wednesday the need for improvements in election security was “urgent” but it was unclear if fixes would be in place this year or even by the next presidential election in 2020. The committee on Tuesday released draft recommendations to bolster election security.
(Corrects spelling in paragraph 2 of DHS secretary to “Kristjen” from “Kirstjen”.)
Reporting by Patricia Zengerle and Dustin Volz; Editing by Marguerita Choy
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