As digital technologies are increasingly used in elections around the world, the threat of cyber attacks against election infrastructure is growing. Meanwhile, election management bodies, political parties, and other stakeholders are often ill-equipped to prepare for, and respond to, cybersecurity attacks. Failing to address cybersecurity risks can pose a critical threat to electoral integrity. To help address this challenge, USAID’s Center for Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance (DRG) Center supported the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) to develop a five-part Electoral Cybersecurity Briefing Series under the DAI Digital Frontiers Project, including:
Primer: Cybersecurity and Elections: This primer provides a brief overview of the challenges posed by cybersecurity in elections and ways to better integrate cybersecurity assessment and readiness into relevant electoral and political processes programs.
Understanding Cybersecurity Throughout the Electoral Process: A Reference Document: This Reference Document provides an in-depth understanding of key concepts of cybersecurity for elections, risk management, the history and future of cyberattacks, and frameworks that can help guide cybersecurity planning and strategy.
Briefing Paper on Cybersecurity of Voter Registration: This briefing paper covers the main cybersecurity threats, risks, tactics, and threat actors related to voter registration processes, as well as potential measures to mitigate these threats and risks.
Briefing Paper on Cybersecurity of Election Results Management Systems:This briefing paper provides an overview of cybersecurity threats and risks to the highly complex and sensitive process of election results management. It also provides guidance on integrating cybersecurity readiness into electoral assistance programs that support election results management.
Electoral Cybersecurity: A Donor Program Development Guide This guide presents a four-step process to assess electoral cybersecurity context and threat environment, identify election management body (EMB) partners, assess EMB cybersecurity capacity, and determine the level of openness to cybersecurity programming assistance. The guide then summarizes options for supporting electoral cybersecurity programming and provides recommendations drawing on global best practices.