April 1, 2020
Election Campaign Security Revisited
Executive Director of US CyberDome, Brigadier General (retired) Francis X. Taylor, discusses the evolution of cybersecurity threats to U.S. presidential campaigns.
March 24, 2020
Election Integrity in a COVID-19 Era
US CyberDome founders, Matt Barrett and Joe Drissel, discuss new collaborative cybersecurity efforts in political campaigns and the election environment during COVID-19.
March 16, 2020
U.S. CyberDome Forms PC-ISAO Group to Share Cyberthreats Information
U.S. CyberDome launches the first-ever political campaign information sharing and analysis U.S. CyberDome, a cybersecurity provider to political parties, announced that it’s going to share cyberthreat information with political campaigns. The organization also founded the Political Campaign Information Sharing and AnalyU.S. CyberDome, a cybersecurity provider to political parties, announced that it’s going to share cyberthreat information with political campaigns. The organization also founded the Political Campaign Information Sharing and Analysis Organizations (PC-ISAOs) through the U.S. Presidential Executive Order for Promoting Private Sector Cybersecurity Information Sharing…
March 11, 2020
GROUP ESTABLISHED TO SHARE CYBER THREAT INFORMATION WITH CAMPAIGNS
U.S. CyberDome launches the first-ever political campaign information sharing and analysis organization (PC-ISAO)
JANUARY 28, 2020 NPR
2020 Political Campaigns Are Trying To Avoid A 2016-Style Hack
Paranoia is the best strategy for political campaigns when it comes to digital security. After all, who can forget the massive hack of the Hillary Clinton campaign’s emails during the last presidential election and its embarrassing consequences?
The reelection campaign of Maine Sen. Angus King took this to heart. Lisa Kaplan, King’s digital director, regularly sent out fake emails to her staff to “see who would click on them.” Those emails during the 2018 campaign looked real — but they were not…
JANUARY 15, 2020 CAMPAIGN INSIDER
CYBERSECURITY CONCERNS FOR CAMPAIGNS HEIGHTENED AMID IRAN TENSIONS, BURISMA HACK
One of the Democratic presidential campaigns that made its cybersecurity commitment a public priority has lost its in-house chief information security officer as hacking threats to campaigns and groups are increasing.
On Wednesday, news broke that the chief information security officer for Pete Buttigieg’s presidential campaign had resigned last month “due to differences with campaign leadership over how to manage information security,†according to a report…
NOVEMBER 19, 2019
The Road to 2020: Defending Against Election Interference
Brigadier General (USAF, ret.) Francis X. Taylor
Executive Director, pro tempore
US CyberDome
Before the United States House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Innovation
NOVEMBER 21, 2019 ABC NEWS
2020 campaigns ‘under-prepared’ to combat foreign cyberattacks: Experts
Former senior government officials and private sector executives warned of major election security shortcomings in a Capitol Hill hearing less than a year out from the 2020 elections.
“Our assessment is that campaigns are under-prepared,” said Gen. Frank Taylor, a former under secretary for Intelligence and Analysis at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. “Their focus is on getting their candidate elected, and the investment that’s required to protect against a more sophisticated threat is much more expensive than campaigns can afford.”…
NOVEMBER 20, 2019 UPI
Experts urge lawmakers to put resources into election security
WASHINGTON, Nov. 20 (UPI) — Democratic lawmakers are urging action to ensure heightened defenses against election interference, although it seems unlikely that any House-passed legislation will land on the president’s desk in time for the 2020 election.
Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection and Innovation Subcommittee Chairman Cedric Richmond said Tuesday that the White House needs to “show some needed leadership on election security.”…
NOVEMBER 20, 2019 MeriTalk
House Panel Zeroes in on Election Security Ahead of 2020
With election security firmly in place as the popular policy de jour on Capitol Hill in the ramp-up to the 2020 election cycle, House members from both sides of the aisle voiced support at a Nov. 19 hearing for more focus on cyberattacks targeting election infrastructure, with a particular focus on ransomware exploits…
SEPTEMBER 11, 2019 CBSN
The legacy of the 9/11 terror attacks
In an exclusive interview with “CBS Evening News” anchor Norah O’Donnell, former Homeland Security Secretaries Jeh Johnson, Michael Chertoff and Janet Napolitano reflected on the impact of 9/11 and the greatest threats to national security 18 years later.
SEPTEMBER 11, 2019 NJTV News
Former Secretary Jeh Johnson on the state of homeland security
NJTV News anchor Mary Alice Williams sat down with former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson to discuss the meeting’s optics, the possibility of future of peace talks and how the country could end its longest war.
“I don’t think it would have been the correct message to send, I don’t think the timing would have been right, I don’t think the location would have been right to meet with, shake hands with an enemy who we’ve been in combat with for the last 18 years,†he said…
AUGUST 21, 2019 Government Information Security Podcast
US CyberDome Poised to Protect 2020 Elections
An A-list of cyber experts, including former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, has put its weight behind U.S. CyberDome, a nonpartisan initiative to protect presidential campaigns against foreign influence. Matthew Barrett, a former NIST leader and co-founder of CyberDome, outlines how this group is gearing up.
AUGUST 15, 2019 THE HILL
Ex-CIA chief worries campaigns falling short on cybersecurity
Democratic 2020 presidential campaigns say they are working to boost their cybersecurity, but experts worry those efforts may not be enough.
Former acting CIA Director Michael Morell told The Hill he worries there is a “void†and that campaigns need outside help to fully address the issue.
“There is not a lot of initial thought given to cybersecurity,†Morell said about the campaigns.
Several campaigns insist they have prioritized the issue…
AUGUST 16, 2019 Bank Info Security
U.S. CyberDome Poised to Protect 2020 Elections
An A-list of cyber experts, including former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, has put its weight behind U.S. CyberDome, a nonpartisan initiative to protect presidential campaigns against foreign influence. Matthew Barrett, a former National Institute of Standards and Technology leader and co-founder of CyberDome, outlines how this group is gearing up for the 2020 election…
AUGUST 06, 2019 THE HILL
Former DHS, intelligence leaders launch group to protect presidential campaigns from foreign interference
Two former Homeland Security secretaries, along with other former top intelligence officials, launched a non-profit group on Tuesday intended to protect presidential campaigns from foreign interference, such as cyber attacks, at no cost.
The new U.S. CyberDome group’s Board of Advisors will be chaired by former Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Jeh Johnson, who served under former President Obama…
AUGUST 08, 2019 Politico
Exclusive: Cyber nonprofit steps into presidential campaign
ANOTHER NONPROFIT ENTERS THE SCENE— Fresh off a favorable Federal Election Commission ruling allowing nonprofits to provide free or discounted election security service comes U.S. CyberDome, an organization that has begun offering those services to presidential campaigns. The nonprofit appears to be just the second to kick off an election security service after Harvard’s Defending Digital Campaigns won the FEC ruling in May. U.S. CyberDome’s board of advisers includes former DHS chiefs Jeh Johnson and Michael Chertoff, former DNI James Clapper and Francis Taylor, an ex-DHS undersecretary for intelligence and analysis…
AUGUST 6, 2019 Washington
U.S. CyberDome aims to protect presidential campaigns against foreign meddling
WASHINGTON —U.S. CyberDome, a 501(c)(4) organization, has been launched to protect presidential campaigns against foreign influence at no cost.
“U.S. CyberDome is a non-partisan, not-for-profit initiative founded by a group of cybersecurity experts interested in preserving our democracy,†said former Homeland Secretary Jeh Johnson, who serves as Chairman of U.S. CyberDome’s Board of Advisors. “In the face of known, on-going efforts by foreign powers to try to interfere in our upcoming election, U.S. CyberDome could not come at a more critical juncture. 
AUGUST 7, 2019 Homeland Security Today
Former DHS, Intel Leaders Team Up to Offer Free Campaign Cyber Protection
U.S. CyberDome, a 501(c)(4) organization, has been launched to protect presidential campaigns against foreign influence at no cost.
“U.S. CyberDome is a non-partisan, not-for-profit initiative founded by a group of cybersecurity experts interested in preserving our democracy,†said former Homeland Secretary Jeh Johnson, who serves as Chairman of U.S. CyberDome’s Board of Advisors. “In the face of known, ongoing efforts by foreign powers to try to interfere in our upcoming election, U.S. CyberDome could not come at a more critical juncture. 
JULY 19, 2019 Aspen Security forum
Secretary Michael Chertoff at Aspen Security Forum
JUNE 13, 2019 The Wall Street Journal
2020 Campaigns Remain Vulnerable as Signs of Russian Hackers Re-Emerge
WASHINGTON—Many 2020 presidential campaigns face challenges in rebuffing cyberattacks despite taking some steps to beef up security, an issue brought into fresh focus by President Trump’s comments that he might accept information from foreign governments that was damaging to his rivals.
Three years after John Podesta, Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign chairman, clicked on a spear-phishing email that allowed Russian hackers to break into his account, followed by the publication of his emails by WikiLeaks, campaigns today are…
APRIL 19, 2019 TIME
The 2020 Presidential Campaigns Are Still Vulnerable to Cyber Attacks. Here’s Why
Most Americans aren’t yet paying a lot of attention to the 2020 presidential campaign. The same can’t be said for Russian spies.
Aides and advisers to the vast field of Democratic hopefuls are ringing alarm bells, telling their bosses they should assume that Moscow is laying the groundwork to disrupt, if not derail, their campaigns, just as Russian intelligence did to Hillary Clinton’s in 2016…
JULY 13, 2019 AP News
AP Exclusive: New election systems use vulnerable software
WASHINGTON (AP) — Pennsylvania’s message was clear: The state was taking a big step to keep its elections from being hacked in 2020. Last April, its top election official told counties they had to update their systems. So far, nearly 60% have taken action, with $14.15 million of mostly federal funds helping counties buy brand-new electoral systems.
But there’s a problem: Many of these new systems still run on old software that will soon be outdated and more vulnerable to hackers.
An Associated Press analysis has found that like many counties in Pennsylvania, the vast majority of 10,000 election jurisdictions nationwide use Windows 7 or an older operating system to create ballots, program voting machines, tally votes and report counts…
JULY 12, 2019 Reclaim the Net
Almost all of the 2020 candidates are using bad email security practices
Research by the email threat protection firm Agari revealed that the 2020 US presidential campaigns are following poor email security practices. It was found that several major party candidates contending in the 2020 elections are failing to implement proper DMARC policies and are putting their donors and voters in jeopardy.
DMARC (Domain-based Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) policies are used to protect users by enabling policies that protect users from potential phishing and fraud attacks. According to the Department of Homeland Security, setting a DMARC policy of ‘REJECT’ can help in enhancing overall email security and will provide immunity against spoofed emails…
JUNE 25, 2019 THE HILL
Bipartisan House committee members agree on cyber threats to elections, if not how to address it
Members of two House Science subcommittees drilled experts about the security of voting machines during a hearing Tuesday afternoon, putting the spotlight on election security as congressional Democrats continue to push for action on the issue.
House members were given the chance to discuss the vulnerabilities of voting systems during a hearing held by the House Science subcommittees on investigations and oversight and on research and technology. While there was disagreement over specific Democrat-backed election security bills, subcommittee members seemed to come together over the need to address cybersecurity risks to voting machines…
