Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Mark Church, Chief Elections Officer & Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder
Subject: San Mateo County Election Infrastructure Security
RECOMMENDATION:
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Accept the Election Infrastructure Security Report from the Chief Elections Officer.
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BACKGROUND:
The importance of the security and integrity of the County Election Infrastructure and Voter Registration and Voting Tabulation Systems cannot be overstated. On January 6, 2017, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) formally designated the nation's election infrastructure as "Critical Infrastructure" for federal protection and support. This designation recognizes the vital role elections play in our nation as the foundation of our democratic process and elevates the protection of our election infrastructure as a priority within the National Infrastructure Protection Plan. It allows the election infrastructure to enjoy all the benefits and protections the U.S. Government has to offer particularly in the areas of cybersecurity and risk management.
San Mateo County voters can rest assured that their confidential voter information and voting tabulation systems are safe and secure. These systems are protected in a multi- layered cyber and physical infrastructure environment. Our election systems and infrastructure are protected with the highest levels of security that bring together federal, state, local and private sector resources to bolster our cybersecurity defenses. Election security depends on a well-coordinated, multi-organizational effort to protect the integrity of election systems. It is a responsibility that cannot be performed by one entity alone given the broad reaches of current cybersecurity threats.
We live in an age where the threat of sophisticated cyberattacks are very real across all technology sectors. Last year, cybercriminals attacked one of the largest credit bur...
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