Elections security program cut, local Colorado officals concerned about cyber security
FREMONT COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) - This morning the Fremont County Clerk and Recorder awoke to see an email saying federal funding for the Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center was cut and the Center would no longer be operating.
"Due to the termination of funding by the Department of Homeland Security, The Center for Internet Security no longer supports EI-ISAC operations," Grantham said he joined EI-ISAC as soon as he was sworn in as Fremont County Clerk and Recorder in 2019.
EI-ISAC was self-described as a voluntary, collaborative partnership between the Center for Internet Security (CIS), CISA, and the Election Infrastructure Subsector Government Coordinating Council with membership open for all state, local, tribal, and territorial organizations that conduct elections.
Grantham recalled a 2022 instance where Fremont County fell victim to a cyber-attack.
"[EI-ISAC], literally, cut off, well, the head of the snake before it ended up disseminating [to] create more heads," Grantham said EI-ISAC utilized its vast communication network to quickly spread word to other Clerk and Recorder Offices warning them about the attack.
Grantham tells KRDO13 Investigates it's the loss of that network that will hurt rural counties the most.
"It's definitely the rural pieces of not just Colorado, but the entire nation that utilize people with the expertise to be able to help them stave off a disaster, whether it be technical disaster or internet disaster or even natural disaster because of those communication lines," Grantham said.
In bigger counties
"You want to make sure that stuff is air gapped and there's no cyber threats. The other thing that EI-ISAC did as well is they were really good in regards to misinformation and AI," El Paso County Clerk and Recorder Steve Schleiker told KRDO13 Investigates how EI-ISAC helped their office
Schleiker said representatives with EI-ISAC came out to the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder's Office for a full safety assessment.
Their recommendations led to changes at the office.
Schleiker said they added these rocks to prevent any cars from getting too close to the building based on recommendations made by EI-ISAC.
While the EI-ISAC cuts won't impact the security of election machines, Schleiker said it could leave online elements, like the voter registration database and election night results reporting, vulnerable to attacks.
"They were the ones out there on the cybersecurity side. And they were going into the deep web pulling this stuff out and providing us information," Schleiker said.
In Pueblo, the County Clerk and Recorder, Candance Rivera, is sharing a similar concern in a statement sent to KRDO13 Investigates:
“The Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EI-ISAC) is both a necessary and critical program that safeguards the integrity and security of elections in the United States. Deep funding cuts to this program are a cause for extreme, grave concern not only to me as a County Clerk, but also to Election Officials across the country. Americans should be alarmed as any proposed cuts will likely result in the elimination of training, threat monitoring services and critical resources that Election Officials utilize across the country. The threat of sophisticated cyberattacks, foreign interference and threats to election workers in U.S. elections only increases by the day. These funding cuts would not only be carelessly irresponsible, but they would also put our election system and public servants at extreme risk. For this very reason EI-ISAC must be protected. The EI-ISAC keeps our elections safe, secure and reliable, therefore the continued funding of this program is a bipartisan issue. Election integrity and security are the very foundation of our Constitutional Republic that all Americans deserve and enjoy.”
State Officals Respond:
The Colorado Secretary of State Jenna Griswold told KRDO13 Investigates:
"Since January, the Trump administration has cut vital election security programs and there is uncertainty about the future of funding for federal programs that safeguard elections. My office is currently examining how to fill potential gaps.
Colorado will continue to set the standard when it comes to election security and accessibility. Our elections have multiple layers of security, and we are always anticipating new threats and taking action to prevent them. My office goes above and beyond federal security best practices because we are committed to ensuring every Coloradan has their voice heard."
