As the 2024 presidential election draws near, Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., is looking to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to share critical information to help combat foreign election threats.
In a Jan. 16 letter sent to CISA Director Jen Easterly, the senator expressed his concern over the Biden administration’s ability – because of action in the courts that seek to limit the ability of the administration to influence social media companies by providing threat data – to combat these threats and urged CISA to continue its election security work to address foreign malign influence in our elections.
In his letter, Sen. Warner cited a recently declassified intelligence assessment that shows the continuing threat of foreign election interference – including from China, Iran, and Russia.
“CISA’s commitment to leading the Federal government’s engagement on physical security and cybersecurity ahead of each Federal election is crucial,” wrote Sen. Warner. “Since the designation of election infrastructure as critical infrastructure in 2017, CISA has led a collaborative effort to assist state and local governments, election officials, Federal partners, and private sector partners in protecting election systems from cyber threats.
“The complex and often highly varied election processes and systems across the U.S. are markedly more secure today as a result of CISA’s important efforts,” he added.
Sen. Warner wrote the letter as the Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on Murthy v. Missouri, a case that will examine whether Biden administration officials violated the First Amendment in their communications with social media companies regarding COVID-19 and election content.
This case will help to decide the role the Federal government can play in communicating with private social media companies when it comes to foreign threats.
“With the heightened possibility that the FBI may (through internal policy or court decision) be hamstrung in its ability to share threat information with impacted parties outside the Federal government, it will be incumbent upon CISA to fill this vacuum – engaging and serving as an interlocutor between private sector entities, the intelligence community and law enforcement, and state and local officials,” Sen. Warner wrote.
CISA collaborates with Federal agencies, state and local government, election officials, and other valued partners to provide no-cost cybersecurity and physical security assistance, as well as timely, actionable threat information.
Last fall, Easterly said that Americans can remain confident in U.S. election infrastructure. However, the director also warned that the information environment is at risk, especially as adversaries look to use AI to generate deceptive content to influence Federal elections.
“We are doing everything we can to be proactive and get ahead of it. I think it’ll be a challenging year,” Easterly said, adding, “But, I have great faith in the state and local election officials who are on the frontlines defending democracy, and there’s no more important mission.”
