Shelby County successfully completes directive to boost election security

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COLUMBUS – The Shelby County Board of Elections announced the successful completion of security upgrades required by Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose.

On June 11, 2019, LaRose issued Directive 2019-08, a comprehensive, multi-faceted security strategy for local boards that provides the redundancy required of a strong election system infrastructure. Counties had until Jan. 31, 2020, to complete the secretary’s requirements. The effort has made Ohio the national leader in election security, officials said.

The directive included a checklist of 34 separate requirements that must be met in order to be considered compliant. The specifics of the checklist essentially serve as Ohio’s detailed defense plan against adversaries who seek to disrupt the state’s elections. The requirements fall under five separate sectors:

• Physical security assessments and improvements

• Background checks of personnel

• Secure website and email domains

• Cyber-attack detection, system hardening and network defense

• Security training

“The voters in Shelby County should be proud of their local Board of Elections for successfully embracing such a big challenge,” LaRose said. “By elevating their defensive posture, they’ve helped make Ohio a national model for election security.”

In January 2017, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security designated election infrastructure as part of the nation’s critical infrastructure. By its very nature, each and every election system is vulnerable to ever changing security environments.

By implementing this elevated security posture that is a model for the nation, officials said Ohio will be in the best possible standing to deter any threats to its election system, both foreign and domestic.

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