Former DHS Secretary Testifies On 2016 Election Cyberattacks

Former Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Jeh Johnson testified about Russian cyberattacks on state electoral systems and DNC servers prior to the 2016 presidential election in front of the House Intelligence Committee Wednesday morning.

Johnson stated in his written testimony published by the committee that he became aware of the Russian hacks of DNC servers "sometime in 2016." When he questioned his staff about whether or not DHS had made appropriate overtures to help the DNC with cyber security, he discovered to his dismay that the offer had been made and rebuffed:

" I pressed my staff to know whether DHS was sufficiently proactive, and on the scene helping the DNC identify the intruders and patch vulnerabilities. The answer, to the best of my recollection, was not reassuring: the FBI and the DNC had been in contact with each other months before about the intrusion, and the DNC did not feel it needed DHS’s assistance at that time.”

Republican committee members at the hearing focused many of their questions on this point. Rep. Steve King (R-NY) pointed out that the offer of help was coming from an administration of the same party, so the response from the DNC was particularly inexplicable.

Watch King and Johnson’s conversation below, starting at minute 43:45 through 44:55.

Of particular concern to lawmakers from both parties was the interaction between DHS and state electoral officials. In his written testimony Johnson documented floating the idea of designating electoral infrastructure as "critical infrastructure" to state officials in mid-August, in the hopes of dealing proactively with the possibility of Russian cyberattacks. He explained that to designate the voting systems as “critical infrastructure” would mean two things:

"(1) that election officials, upon request, would be a top priority for the receipt of DHS’s services, and (2) that, as part of critical infrastructure, election infrastructure would receive the benefit of various domestic and international cybersecurity protections.”

To Johnson’s disappointment the response "ranged from neutral to negative". State officials did not want the federal government exerting influence over their state systems, which Johnson stated was a misunderstanding of the intent of the designation.

Johnson also detailed his multiple public statements regarding the potential for electoral hacking and repeated offers to the states of DHS assistance from early September through early October 2016. Lawmakers questioned whether or not the Obama administration had called enough public attention to the issue. Johnson reminded them that his most public statement, made in concert with former Director of National Security James Clapper, was overshadowed by the release on the same day of an Access Hollywood tape in which Donald Trump bragged about groping women.

Johnson outlined in his testimony specific recommendations for how to proceed moving forward to better protect elections from cyber intrusion. Watch below, minutes 55:00 - 56:05, as Johnson outlines some of his ideas in response to questions from Rep. Terri Sewell (D-AL):

After the conclusion of the election Johnson did finally choose to move forward with the "critical infrastructure" designation of state election infrastructure, and current DHS Secretary John Kelly has upheld the designation.

Do you support states working in concert with the federal government to develop concrete plans for protecting our electoral systems from future cyberattacks? Use the Take Action button to tell your reps what you think!

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— Asha Sanaker

(Photo Credit: Wikimedia / Creative Commons)