DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES AND THEIR CYBER SECURITY IN LIGHT OF RECENT CHANGES IN ELECTORAL LAW

Authors: Andro Gotsiridze
Affiliation: professor Business & Technology University of Georgia, Cybersecurity Consultant, Founder of CYSEC - Cyber Security Educational Research Center, Director of Cyber Security Bureau of Ministry of Defence of Georgia in 2014 -2017

Category:

Keywords: cybersecurity, digital solution
ABSTRACT. The democratic approach considers that all elections are expected to be free, open and fair, and based on secret ballot; Digital Solutions, IC Technologies are integral parts of the modern electoral process. Their usage increases confidence, the degree of freedom and impartiality of elections, but from a cybersecurity perspective, any process involving the use of electronic devices or digitized data contains risks. Technology cannot be introduced at the cost of compromising mentioned requirements. Depending on the motives of the attacker, cyber threats can lead to a decrease in confidence in the democratic process. Due to the growing trend of using cyber and information operations to interfere in elections, the cybersecurity of electoral processes is definitely one of the most important tasks of the state. The article gives a short overview of the cyber threats to election and discusses some cybersecurity aspects of integration of digital solutions into elections processes.

References:

1. Sebastian Bay, Guna Šnore, Protecting Elections: a strategic communications approach. NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence, 2019
2. Defence Intelligence Agency. Russia Military Power - Building a Military to Support Great Power Aspirations. Report, 2017. ხელმისაწვდომია www.dia.mil/Military-Power-Publications
3. Laura Galante, Shaun Eee. Defining Russian Election Interference: An Analysis of Select 2014 to 2018 Cyber Enabled Incidents. Atlantic Councis Issue Brief. September, 2018
4. Intelligence Community Assesment. Background to “Assessing Russian Activities and Intentions in Recent US Elections”: The Analytic Process and Cyber Incident Attribution. ICA 2017-01D, 6 January 2017
5. ა.გოცირიძე. კიბერსაფრთხეები და მათთან ბრძოლის სტრატეგიული მიმართულებები საქართველოს პერსპექტივიდან. თ.ხიდაშელი “ჰიბრიდული ომების ანატომია”-ში. გვ. 365-395. გამომცემლობა პალიტრა L.
6. Defending Digital Democracy Project. Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. Harvard Kennedy School. The State and Local Election Cybersecurity Playbook. 2018.
7. Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center. Cyber Threats to Elections – a Lexicon. 2018