Learn About the Latest Election Security Threats and Defenses at Black Hat USA

Election security is a pressing issue for many in cybersecurity, and Black Hat will present several relevant Briefings at the virtual Black Hat USA in August. Christopher Krebs, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), will head one of them, Election Security: Securing America's Future, a rundown of how the CISA is leading the federal effort to support state and local officials in their mission to secure US elections in 2020.

Federal, state, local, and private sector partners have been building up defenses since 2017 in preparation for the 2020 elections. As the date draws closer and the COVID-19 pandemic brings its own set of difficulties, Krebs plans to explain how the CISA had to quickly adapt and provide support and resources as officials look for safe, healthy, and secure ways to ensure that elections continue to take place.  

In another presentation, Hacking the Voter: Lessons from a Decade of Russian Military Operations, attendees will learn about election interference activities linked to the GRU, the Russian military's espionage and special forces agency. Russia's policy elites believe information has a fundamental role in international relations, and attendees will find out how this perspective shapes the GRU's strategies and tactics. This perspective reframes past GRU operations and suggests how different GRU tactics could be used in future election interference. The analysis will provide a framework and guidance for organizations — both obvious targets and those that may have a more subtle strategic value — that may need to prepare for these operations.

The companies that make voting equipment and election systems are innovating to improve security ahead of the 2020 elections, and that means they're looking for new ways to harden their systems against attacks. Black Hat attendees will get an in-depth look at how in Building a Vulnerability Disclosure Program That Works for Election Vendors and Hackers, a Black Hat USA Briefing.

From crowdsourced penetration testing to coordinated vulnerability disclosure programs, this Briefing will give you a rundown of new collaborations and also look at ideas for improving the relationship between researchers and voting vendors. Even if you don't currently work in election security, make time to attend this Briefing; the election industry has many lessons to share that leaders across the manufacturing space can learn from to better protect their own critical assets, information, and customer base.

You can find more details on these Briefings, which are all part of the Policy track, in the Black Hat USA Briefings schedule.

Register now for this year's fully virtual Black Hat USA, still scheduled to take place August 1–6, and get more information about the event on the Black Hat website.