The cybersecurity and infrastructure security agency has frozen all its electoral security work and is reviewing everything you have done to help state and local officials to secure their elections during the last eight years, according to britcommerce. The measure represents the first important example of the country’s cyber defense agency that accommodates the false claims of President Donald Trump of electoral fraud and online censorship.
In a memorandum sent on Friday to all CISA employees and obtained by britcommerce, the interim director of CISA, Bridget Bean, said he was ordering “a review and evaluation” of each position in the agency related to electoral security and counteract misinformation, “as” as well as each electoral security and [mis-, dis-, and malinformation] product, activity, service and program that has been carried out “from the federal government designated Electoral systems such as critical infrastructure in 2017.
“CISA will stop all the security activities of the elections until the end of this review,” Bean added. The agency is also reducing funds for these activities in The Information Exchange Center and Information Analysis of Electoral InfrastructureA group funded by the Department of National Security that has served as a coordinating agency for the electoral community.
In his memo, Bean confirmed that Cisa had, like First reported by PoliticEmployees placed “initially identified to be associated with electoral security activities and the MDM program” on the administrative license on February 7.
“It is necessary to rescue the agency’s electoral security activities to ensure that CISA focuses exclusively on executing its cyber and physical security mission,” he told the employees of the note.
While Bean temporarily leads Cisa, she is officially the agency executive director, her best professional position. The first CISA director created the executive role of director to provide continuity during political transitions. Previously, Bean was designated by Trump In the Federal Emergency Management Agency During his first term.
By justifying CISA’s internal review, which will conclude on March 6, Bean pointed out Trump’s executive order of January 20 On “Federal Censorship.” Conservatives have argued that CISA censored his speech coordinating with technological companies to identify online erroneous information in 2020, during the last year of Trump’s first mandate. CISA has denied performing any censorship, and the United States Supreme Court He dismissed a lawsuit about government work. But following the reaction, Cisa He stopped most conversations with technological platforms on evil and online misinformation.
CISA and DHS did not immediately respond to comments requests.
Since 2017, state and local electoral officials have been based on the experience and resources of the CISA, as well as their associations with other agencies, to improve their physical and digital safety. Through consultations on the site and online orientation, CISA has helped electoral administrators to ensure the voting infrastructure against computer pirates, harden the voting places against active shooters and create plans to support the voting place to deal with With shortage of tickets or power cuts.
Electoral supervisors have always had problems overcoming serious financing challenges, but in recent years, their work has become even more stressful as the voting scrutiny has given way to harassment And even death threats. The electoral officials of both parties have repeatedly praised CISA for their apolitical support of their work, saying that the agency’s recommendations and free security services have been critical to increase their own efforts.