Ohio is doubling down on election security as Secretary of State Frank LaRose issues a new directive designed to fortify the state's election infrastructure against the cascade of cyber threats facing the nation. This latest move, part of a series of enhancements, mandates Ohio's 88 county boards of elections to adopt stricter security measures. This includes routine updates to network configurations, regular cybersecurity checklists, and stringent audits conducted by the Secretary of State’s Chief Information Security Officer and team, according to an announcement made by the Secretary's office.
In a time where cyberattacks are no strangers to front-page news, Secretary LaRose's office is taking proactive steps to ensure the buck stops at Ohio’s virtual doorsteps. “Threats change daily, and we’re constantly adapting our protocols to stay ahead of the bad guys,” LaRose stated in a directive published by the Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose. Among the new requirements, local boards must now comply with enhanced physical security protocols, like secure equipment storage and controlled bipartisan access, to preempt any means of system compromise.
An instance of these tightened measures came ahead of May's statewide election when an investigation was ordered into an errant voter check-in tablet. Although no evidence of malicious tampering was found by the Secretary of State’s Election Integrity Unit and cybersecurity team, noncompliant configurations and storage protocols were flagged for correction before the upcoming November election, with remedial actions outlined in the latest protocol upgrade—Security Directive 6.0.
The office’s preemptive strategy has paid off in the past, evidently shielding county boards of elections from breaches that have hit other county government systems. “Every day, we see reports of public and private systems being compromised, and we have to stay vigilant,” said Secretary LaRose. He further underscored the critical nature of their work, asserting the updated guidance should "reassure voters that we take seriously our duty to keep Ohio’s elections accurate, accountable and secure," as reported by the Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose.
