National security imperative of addressing foreign cyber interference in U.S. elections
Past Event
Free and fair elections are a foundational pillar of American democracy, one it has held other countries accountable for throughout history. In 2016, the U.S. presidential election was engulfed in the controversy of election interference. While many questions remain unanswered, it is clear that much more must be done to protect one of Americans’ fundamental rights—the right to vote. Electronic voting machines that produce no verified record are in use in many states, and most states do not have audits that are robust enough to detect malware which could impact vote counts. Resolving these and other election security issues are of critical importance ahead.
On September 8, the Center for 21st Century Security and Intelligence and the Governance Studies program at Brookings hosted an event focused on the national security concerns surrounding election security in the United States. Panelists included Brookings Distinguished Fellow John R. Allen; Brookings Fellow Susan Hennessey; Alex Halderman of the University of Michigan; and Dean Logan of the Los Angeles County government. Michael O’Hanlon, senior fellow and director of research in Foreign Policy at Brookings, moderated the discussion.
Agenda
Alex Halderman
Professor of Computer Science & Engineering; Director, Center for Computer Security and Society, University of Michigan
Susan Hennessey
Former Brookings Expert
Senior Counsel, National Security Division - Department of Justice
Dean Logan
Registrar-Recorder and County Clerk, Los Angeles County
Michael E. O’Hanlon
Director of Research - Foreign Policy
Director - Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology
Co-Director - Africa Security Initiative
Senior Fellow - Foreign Policy, Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology
Philip H. Knight Chair in Defense and Strategy
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