LaRose sets enhanced security standards

VW independent staff/submitted information

COLUMBUS — Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose has issued a record sixth statewide election security directive, providing 88 county boards of elections with updated protocols for preparing and protecting Ohio’s voting infrastructure.

“Threats change daily, and we’re constantly adapting our protocols to stay ahead of the bad guys,” LaRose said. “We’ve positioned Ohio as the national leader on election integrity, and this new directive demonstrates our ongoing commitment to safeguarding our voting equipment and the systems that support it.”

Secretary LaRose is the first Ohio Secretary of State to implement aggressive security standards for all 88 county boards of elections. Each directive builds on prior enhancements to match the evolving threat landscape by requiring boards to:

• Configure networks, firewalls, vulnerability assessment tools and equipment with the most recent approved security updates.
• Complete monthly cybersecurity checklists to ensure protection from malicious threats.
• Conduct a county-specific security audit led by the Secretary of State’s Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and cybersecurity team, the first full-time unit of its kind in the nation.
• Comply with enhanced physical security requirements, including proper equipment storage, video surveillance, and bipartisan access protocols.

LaRose said his office’s security guidance has repeatedly protected county boards of elections from system compromise, even as other county government systems have been breached.

“Cyberattacks are becoming increasingly relentless and effective,” he stated. “Every day, we see reports of public and private systems being compromised, and we have to stay vigilant. The work our security teams are doing is making a real difference, and this updated guidance should reassure voters that we take seriously our duty to keep Ohio’s elections accurate, accountable and secure.”

Ahead of the May statewide election, Secretary LaRose ordered an investigation into a voter check-in tablet that appeared to function improperly and violated equipment security standards. Following a preliminary investigation, the Secretary of State’s Election Integrity Unit and cybersecurity team found no evidence of malicious intrusion or compromise of the electronic pollbook device.