DALLAS (WBAP/KLIF) – The Dallas County Elections Department responded this week to reports of cyber-security threats related to voting.
Recent comments have circulated the media questioning whether the department’s information and equipment resources were hacked by Russian infiltrators during the November 2016 Presidential Election. DCED’s Elections Administrator, Toni Pippins-Poole, ensured the public of Dallas County’s resolve in protecting election and voting equipment, processes, data and information resources. In June through November of 2016, Dallas County participated in and cooperated with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the F.B.I. to review, and safeguard election and voter related information systems from cyber threats. DCED also participated in a cyber-security conference call on October 19, 2016 with these organizations and the Texas Secretary of State. Poole denied reports that she stated that the Dallas County voting and elections computers, registration, election night reporting or other internet-connected systems were hacked or breached in any way.
“Dallas County is committed to good cybersecurity and best practices is important for protecting voter registration, election night reporting and other internet connected election systems,” said Robert Heard Sr., Assistant Elections Administrator.
The DCED said that unknown actors did probe the County’s IT infrastructure, but that seeing traffic from a system does not mean intrusive hacking is occurring. In a Joint Statement from the Department of Homeland Security and Office of the Director of National Intelligence on Election Security, dated October 7, 2016, the USIC and the Department of Homeland Security assessed that it would be difficult for someone to alter actual ballot counts or election results by a cyber attack or intrusion because of the de-centralized nature of our election system.
“Based on this information, it is evident that Dallas County did everything it could to safeguard the electoral process in the November of 2016 Presidential Election, and did not suffer a breach, “hack” or show of vulnerabilities to our systems as some other local and state authorities did,” said Heard.
DCED said it will continue to improve and strengthen its voting and elections software, information and systems to guard against cyber-threats.
