Arizona's election security is once again in the spotlight after a cyberattack hit the state's candidate portal. Senators Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly are pressing the Department of Homeland Security for explanations, detailing their concerns in a letter following the incident that saw profiles on the portal defaced with Iranian imagery. According to a press release from Sen. Gallego's office, election officials were forced to quickly contain the breach without the rapid, coordinated support they once counted on from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).
The Senators have put forward claims that the trust between state officials and CISA, which used to operate as a federal partner providing cybersecurity support, has eroded. "Until recently, CISA served as a trusted federal partner to election officials, offering threat intelligence, technical assistance, and incident response. We have heard firsthand from Arizona officials that this trust has eroded," Sen. Gallego's office stated. Both Senators are now seeking to truly understand the reasons behind CISA's apparent decline in support and communication.
Additionally, concerns have been raised regarding CISA’s decision to defund the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC), leaving local officials to foot the bill for cybersecurity tools that were once federally funded. The Senators are adamant that election security is a nonpartisan issue and crucial for the integrity of the election infrastructure. "Cybersecurity must remain a nonpartisan, whole-of-government priority—especially when it comes to securing our elections," they stressed, as per Sen. Gallego's office.
The letter to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem did not just seek answers to the recent breach; it also urged DHS to reveal plans to restore CISA’s critical election security functions and to reaffirm the commitment to provide state and local officials with the necessary cybersecurity resources.
