Mahoning Elections Board Completes Security Upgrades
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Mahoning County Board of Elections today announced it has successfully completed all security upgrades required by Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose.
As such, the board has met a checklist of 34 separate requirements, reports Joyce Kale-Pesta, director of the Mahoning County Board of Elections.
LaRose issued a directive last June that set forth a multi-faceted security strategy that provides the redundancy required of a strong election system infrastructure, according to Kale-Pesta. Ohio counties had until Jan. 31 to complete the requirements.
The specifics of the checklist essentially serve as Ohio’s detailed defense plan against adversaries who seek to disrupt elections, she explains. The requirements fall under five separate sectors:
- Physical security assessments and improvements.
- Background checks of personnel.
- Secure website and e-mail domains.
- Cyber-attack detection, system hardening and network defense.
- Security training.
“The voters in Mahoning County should be proud of their local Board of Elections for successfully embracing such a big challenge,” said LaRose in a prepared statement. “By elevating their defensive posture, they’ve helped make Ohio a national model for election security.”
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
