Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos to Headline Cybersecurity Summit

June 03 2019

Montpelier, VT – Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos will be delivering a keynote address on cybersecurity at Route Fifty’s “Building a New Cyber Security Paradigm” summit in Boston, Massachusetts on Thursday, June 6^th.

“Defending our elections and other government systems from cyber attackers takes constant diligence, and requires continual investment in the robust defense network that keeps the bad actors out,” said Secretary Condos. “With respect to elections, voters deserve to know that when they cast their ballot, their vote is secure, and that when they give information to state and local governments, we’re doing everything in our power to ensure that information is protected.”

Secretary Condos, who also serves as President for the National Association of Secretaries of State, is considered a national leader on election security, due to the robust cyber defenses in place protecting Vermont elections, and the suite of best practices employed in Vermont, which include voter marked paper ballots for every vote cast, post-election audits, automatic voter registration, same day voter registration, daily backup of the voter registration checklist, and ongoing threat monitoring and deterrence.

“State and local governments are increasingly challenged by the rapidly changing nature of the cybersecurity landscape,” said Secretary Condos. “Our responsibility to protect the foundations of our democracy is like a race without a finish line. We must keep evolving daily to stay one step ahead of those who wish to sew chaos and discord in our fair and free elections.”

The Secretary’s keynote will focus on the ongoing evolution of election cybersecurity since the news that Russian agents had executed a concerted effort to attack state election systems in 2016. Further evidence in the recently released Mueller Report shows an orchestrated effort by Russian cyber agents to attack U.S. election systems and propagate widespread disinformation on social media.

Route Fifty is a digital news publication from Atlantic Media’s Government Executive Media Group, with a focus on stories about technology and innovation at the state and local level. More information about the upcoming event can be found at www.routefifty.com/feature/cybersecurity-roadshow.