A cybersecurity summit at Google's Atlanta office will highlight opportunities and challenges of AI in political campaigns and the importance of boosting cyber defenses

WASHINGTON, March 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In preparation for a historic year of elections, Defending Digital Campaigns (DDC), a nonprofit, non-partisan and non-aligned C4 organization which provides free or low-cost cybersecurity resources to election campaigns, announced today that it has received approval from the Georgia Ethics Commission to provide its free cybersecurity tools and training to campaigns at every level in the state. Under separate approval from the Federal Election Commission (FEC), DDC is already able to provide these tools to state parties and candidates running for federal office.

To mark this occasion and highlight the critical need for political campaigns to bolster their cybersecurity defenses, as well as understand the opportunities and risks of AI, DDC and Google are hosting a cybersecurity summit today at Google's Atlanta office.

"We're committed to equipping high-risk users, including campaigns and elected officials, with best-in-class security tools and technology to protect them from the unique threats they face online," said Laurie Richardson, VP trust & safety at Google. "We're proud to partner with expert organizations like the DDC to directly connect with this audience to conduct trainings, provide free tools and set them up with additional layers of account security, which is critical in the context of safeguarding elections."

The event, "Campaign Security Summit: Protecting High-Risk Users," will feature participation from an array of experts working in politics and at renowned tech companies such as Google, Valimail and Yubico. Speakers include Richardson; Michael Kaiser, president & CEO, Defending Digital Campaigns; Matthew Wilson, first vice chair, Democratic Party of Georgia; Joshua McKoon, chairman of the Georgia Republican Party; and Seth Blank, chief technology officer of Valimail. Rusty Paul, mayor of Sandy Springs, Ga., will provide opening remarks. The event will cover essential topics like cybersecurity best practices for campaigns, the role of AI in elections, and the importance of collaboration between civil society and the tech sector to protect the integrity of elections in Georgia.

In today's era, the backbone of political campaigns is increasingly digital, leveraging technology and online platforms for everything from operational management and voter engagement to fundraising and promoting civic involvement. However, the flip side to these digital advantages is the heightened vulnerability to cyber threats if adequate security measures are not in place. DDC is dedicated to mitigating these risks by offering political campaigns robust security solutions that include strong account authentication, defense against Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, protection from website defacements, and protecting campaign emails from impersonation. In collaboration with leading tech entities like Cloudflare, Meta, Google, Microsoft, and Yubico, DDC delivers a suite of top-tier cybersecurity tools tailored to the needs of vulnerable political campaigns for free, ensuring their digital fortitude at minimal to no financial burden.

"Protecting campaigns from cyber attacks is fundamental to our democracy," said Michael Kaiser of Defending Digital Campaigns. "This gathering will represent a significant milestone in our ongoing nonpartisan efforts to equip political campaigns with the knowledge and tools they need to fend off cyber adversaries and maintain the integrity of our electoral process."

About Defending Digital Campaigns (DDC):

DDC is a nonprofit C4, nonpartisan and non-aligned organization providing access to low-to-no cost cybersecurity products, services and information. DDC's founding members and board include the former presidential campaign managers for Hillary Clinton and Mitt Romney, as well as former senior officials at the NSA and DHS, and the tech industry.

Campaigns face two significant barriers as they seek to better secure themselves from cyber threats: the high cost of quality cybersecurity products and the experience to organize an effective security strategy. DDC helps them quickly overcome both, removing cost and expertise as barriers to security and allowing campaign staff to focus on what they do best: campaigning.

DDC works with the world's leading technology vendors to make their services available directly to campaigns in addition to providing education for campaign professionals. DDC was granted special permission by the Federal Election Commission to operate under this model, providing all campaigns — regardless of party — with the support they need within the limits of campaign finance law. For more information about DDC and its work, visit https://defendcampaigns.org/

SOURCE Defending Digital Campaigns