Recent revelations about the 2020 election raise serious questions about the role of U.S. intelligence and cybersecurity measures. Reports suggest that agencies within the intelligence community withheld crucial information about foreign interference, particularly from China. A letter from Barry Zulauf indicates that while the intelligence community was aware of breaches, including China’s access to voter registration data from multiple states, this information was not shared with the Trump Administration or the public. This allowed potential vulnerabilities to go unnoticed.
Officials had information prior to the election about China’s use of counterfeit driver’s licenses. These fake IDs were reportedly manufactured and imported to aid Chinese nationals in voting with fraudulent mail-in ballots. A Customs and Border Protection interception at O’Hare International Airport revealed nearly 20,000 counterfeit licenses, yet the significance of this find was downplayed. The implications are troubling: voter fraud by non-citizens undermines the very integrity of democracy.
Compounding the issue is the functionality of the ALBERT Sensor, an intrusion detection system developed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Intended to safeguard election infrastructure, the ALBERT Sensor has faced criticism for its lack of effectiveness. Reports indicate that after being deployed, the system failed to detect any cyber intrusions during its operational states in 2018. This raises questions about its efficacy and whether jurisdictions were left vulnerable even after agreeing to its installation.
Local officials, such as those in Lincoln County, Washington, encountered a ransomware attack shortly after installing ALBERT. This was compounded by the failure of both the system and the Center for Internet Security to notify them of the attack. The situation in neighboring Ferry County illustrates the local response to dissatisfaction with the system’s performance. The county opted to discontinue its use of ALBERT to protect itself, prompting backlash from media that questioned the motivation and safety of this decision.
Furthermore, the narrative surrounding election security seems tightly controlled. Notably, the New York Times recently criticized efforts to reshape the Department of Homeland Security’s election security focus, echoing concerns about personnel changes and continuity of operations. However, this analysis did not address accusations against the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) for potentially enabling foreign interference by failing in its mandates.
This collection of information points to a pattern: intelligence about possible electoral manipulation was not only withheld but, in certain cases, mischaracterized. If this is true, it casts a long shadow over the trustworthiness of election processes. The question remains, how deeply entrenched are these failures and what steps will be taken to ensure they do not recur in future elections?
The implications of these findings stretch far beyond the 2020 election. They challenge the commitment to transparent and secure electoral processes and highlight the need for robust cybersecurity measures that can protect against foreign interference. For those who hold the integrity of democracy in high regard, these issues require urgent and undivided attention.
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