GW Experts on Election Security and Political Violence Ahead of the Midterms

“Election officials in the United States have been alerted to safe-proof their voting systems and be vigilant about political violence amid a “very complex threat environment,” top U.S. cybersecurity official Jen Easterly said on Sunday in the wake of an attack on the husband of a leading Democratic lawmaker last week.” (Via Reuters) 

Cybersecurity faculty experts at the George Washington University are available to offer insight, analysis and commentary on election security, political violence, and cybersecurity concerns ahead of Election Day, one week from today. If you would like to interview an expert, please contact GW Media Relations at [email protected].

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Scott White is an associate professor of cybersecurity and the director of the GW Cybersecurity Program. White is a criminologist with an accomplished career in security. He was a commissioned officer with the Canadian Forces Military Intelligence Command (Department of National Defence) and worked for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. Additionally, he has consulted with federal, state, provincial and municipal police services in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. He can speak to topics like cybersecurity and terrorism, homeland security and politically motivated crime.

“One of the things we deal with today is there’s so much rhetoric, there’s so much anti — whether it be anti-government or it be anti-political party or even anti-individual in the case of Chair Pelosi — that individuals, predominantly on the fringe, and many of them with mental health issues, may act out of violently,”  White recently told The National Desk after the attack on US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband.

Connie Uthoff  is an assistant professor and the Program Director of GW’s Cybersecurity Strategy and Information Management Program. Uthoff has written and lectured extensively in areas of national security, international relations and cyber concerns. She has participated in and led cyber tabletop exercises in the U.S and Europe and coordinated and presented cyber training in Spain to members of their Cyber Command. Uthoff can speak to topics concerning election information security, election-related violence, and potential foreign interference in elections. 

“Foreign attempts to influence U.S. elections are not new. There is ample historical evidence that illustrates how countries, like Russia, have attempted to erode US democratic processes and create doubt regarding the integrity of US political systems,” Uthoff said in a recent interview for VOA News. “Today, due to advances in technology, the potential impact of foreign influence operations is much more severe. Disinformation can be used to divide a populace, sow discord, and incite violence and is a strategic tool used by foreign competitors to intentionally weaken their adversaries.”