DHS Chief: Election Security Now Top Priority Among Critical Systems

US Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen told the Senate Intelligence Committee today that the agency is "prioritizing election efforts ... over all other critical infrastructure sectors" including finance, energy, and communication critical infrastructure.

Nielsen was testifying before the committee in a hearing on election security. The committee yesterday announced recommendations for bolstering the cybersecurity of US election systems, and Reuters reports that Congress today is expected to roll out a bill today that earmarks $400 million for election security.

DHS is assisting states in shoring up their cybersecurity, Nielsen told the committee, and more than half of all states already have signed up for DHS's vulnerability scanning services that pinpoint flaws and security holes in the systems.

Read more here. 

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