(The Situation Update Report [SUR] is a near real-time brief of a possible threat or situation being monitored by The Counter Threat Center. The information is accurate at the time of reporting, but may be subject to change.)
Sabrina Bernardo, Noah Kuttymartin, Ludovica Leccese, Extremism Team
Samantha Mikulskis, James Raggio Editor; Elena Alice Rossetti, Senior Editor
November 1, 2024
Voting Machines[1]
Current Situation: Colorado Governor Jared Polis and Secretary of State Jena Griswold have updated all passwords on Colorado’s voting machines to enhance election security. The update is in response to concerns about unauthorized access, and it ensured no settings on the machines were altered. The operation involved 30 state and country staff, who all had to pass background checks and worked under strict supervision.[2]
Day of event: November 1, 2024
What is the current threat:
This update after the password leak incidents will likely fuel public skepticism about election security, likely leading to heightened scrutiny and distrust among voters. This lack of confidence will likely decrease voter turnout and increase calls for transparency and audits.
This incident will likely encourage conspiracy theories online regarding the manipulation of votes, likely leading to allegations that machines are programmed to favor a specific party, even though the situation has been resolved.
Ensuring that updated passwords and security protocols remain uncompromised will likely place additional demand on Colorado’s cybersecurity teams, who will likely need to implement real-time monitoring of election systems to detect any unusual activity through advanced tools that track logins, access attempts, or changes to system configurations.
Other states will likely view Colorado’s experience as an example, resulting in a nationwide push for stronger cybersecurity standards.
Who will it directly impact:
Colorado State
Colorado cybersecurity personnel
Colorado citizens and voters
Colorado political candidates
Colorado election officials and staff
Election integrity and watchdogs organizations
Threat actors spreading disinformation and misinformation
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[1] Voting machines, generated by a third party image database (created by AI)
[2] Governor Polis & Secretary of State Griswold Announce That All Passwords Have Been Updated on Colorado Voting Machines, Security of Voting Machines Has Been Verified, Colorado Governor’s Office, Colorado.gov, November 1, 2024, https://www.colorado.gov/governor/news/governor-polis-secretary-state-griswold-announce-all-passwords-have-been-updated-colorado-0