Mandating Multi-Factor Authentication for Cybersecurity in the U.S. Federal Government

Government elections are an attractive target for cybercriminals aiming to disrupt and destabilize the foundations of U.S. democracy. Elections comprise a heterogenous and fluid ecosystem and involve many moving parts and players: the voting public, high-risk/high-profile election candidates, campaign teams, departments and agencies, contractors, election staff and volunteers, businesses, the media, and more. Cybercriminals seek to exploit any potential weak links introduced by this complexity. Official election workers, who have access to systems and databases, are popular targets. Threat actors will look for ways to capitalize on this privileged status to exfiltrate sensitive material and information or even lock down campaign operations through coordinated malware and ransomware attacks. Hardened security devices coupled with swift, impenetrable multi-factor authentication keep election sensitive data safe and fend off domestic and foreign cybersecurity threats.