Auburn University’s McCrary Institute to host virtual event on election security amid COVID-19
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With Election Day just weeks away, many are concerned about the security of the process relating to cyber threats, voter registration databases and COVID-19.
Auburn University’s McCrary Institute will host a virtual event to address those concerns Tuesday, Sept. 22, with special guest Matt Masterson, senior advisor for election security for the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
The event, which will be livestreamed here, will begin at 9 a.m. CT with remarks from Masterson on federal plans to strengthen election security.
Those remarks will be followed by a moderated discussion with McCrary Institute Director Frank Cilluffo, then a panel discussion and close with an audience question-and-answer session.
The panel will be moderated by Chris Cummiskey, CEO of Cummiskey Strategic Solutions and senior fellow of the McCrary Institute, and it will feature panelists Kathy Boockvar, Pennsylvania Secretary of State; Emily Frye, director for cyber integration for MITRE Corp. and senior fellow of the McCrary Institute; Kathleen Hale, Auburn University professor, director of graduate programs in election administration and faculty fellow of the McCrary Institute; and David Stafford, supervisor of elections for Escambia County, Florida.
Masterson and the panel will discuss topics ranging from cybersecurity tools and efforts to better prepare state and local governments for the upcoming November election, strategies for increased protection of voter registration databases, collaborations to recruit more election poll workers and approaches for ensuring voter safety amid COVID-19.
To ask a question during the event, please comment live on YouTube, Facebook or Twitter.
Media interested in this story can contact Communications Director Preston Sparks at (334) 844-9999 or preston.sparks@auburn.edu.
Auburn University is a nationally ranked land grant institution recognized for its commitment to world-class scholarship, interdisciplinary research with an elite, top-tier Carnegie R1 classification, life-changing outreach with Carnegie’s Community Engagement designation and an undergraduate education experience second to none. Auburn is home to more than 30,000 students, and its faculty and research partners collaborate to develop and deliver meaningful scholarship, science and technology-based advancements that meet pressing regional, national and global needs. Auburn’s commitment to active student engagement, professional success and public/private partnership drives a growing reputation for outreach and extension that delivers broad economic, health and societal impact.
