Estonia redefines national security in a digital age

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) built up its digital defenses, successfully protecting the 2018 midterm election from the cyber-hacking that occurred in 2016. The DNC now trains staff to spot cyber threats, conducts simulated phishing campaigns to test employees’ vigilance, and security staffers regularly meet with their House and Senate campaign counterparts to offer their security expertise. The DNC also requires protections, such as two-factor authentication, which requires a temporary code in addition to a user’s password and conducts regular “spot checks” of Democrats’ cybersecurity practices.

Estonia is bolstering its cybersecurity against Russian would-be hackers on a shoestring budget and a brigade of volunteers, called the "nerd reserves." Hailing from Estonia's rich IT community, as well as other industries like education and law, the volunteers engage in a range of defensive activities like planning elaborate simulated cyberexercises and giving talks at elementary schools.

To drum up bipartisan support for a bill that will require social media app TikTok to divest from the Chinese Communist Party or lose access to American users, legislators involved multiple committees in the process and enlisted the support of the Department of Justice to appeal directly to Democrats. The final version of the bill was attached to legislation providing aid for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan and passed with little opposition.

The Public Infrastructure Security Cyber Education System, or PISCES, pairs cybersecurity students from Metropolitan State University of Denver with civic institutions in need of cybersecurity help, such as fire departments, county governments, and school districts. So far, the program has provided services to 10 organizations while also allowing students to get real-world experience in their field.

In an attempt to address fraud and malpractice, Nigeria introduced the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and the INEC Result Viewing Portal, which verify voters' identities using voter numbers, fingerprints, and facial recognition, and publicly shares election results in real-time. The technologies were successfully implemented in 76 percent of voting locations in one state in 2022, but voters and local officials say there are still issues with disenfranchisement and technical glitches.

To bolster the security of the 2022 midterm election, officials released frequent alerts and updates about disinformation, cyber threats, and potential physical threats to election workers. A special task force investigated threats against election officials and brought forward four federal cases and several state prosecutions related to the incidents.

Cyber security simulations are taking place across the country to help everyone, from government officials to journalists, to identify election-related cyber threats and coordinated disinformation campaigns and make plans to strengthen defenses against them. One company, Cybereason, holds simulation events, sometimes bringing together law enforcement officers from agencies including the Secret Service and FBI, to think through potential security threats and come up with corresponding solutions. Running through security breach simulations helps plan for a quick response to deal with the challenges.

Ahmed Albasheer is an Iraqi journalist who uses a combination of humor and grassroots organizing to teach youth in Iraq and across the world about their government's corruption with his show, "The Albasheer Show.” He has been compared to Jon Stewart in how his weekly series airing on YouTube and satellite television engages young people through his comedic timing and straight-forward manner of speaking. As a result, protests have erupted, and the government has killed protesters in response, but Albasheer continues to boost morale and amplify their voices in solidarity.

By collecting and sharing its data on Internet scams and phishing attacks, the Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG), a cyber security nonprofit, acts like a clearinghouse for records. The APWG brings together other international partners, such as companies, universities, governments, and other nonprofits to use its data to develop new strategies to product Internet users against malware and phishing attacks.

During West Virginia’s primary elections, a pilot program used blockchain technology and a mobile app to record votes. The aim was to improve election security and make it easier for Americans abroad to cast their ballots. Critics say that the program left many security issues unsolved.