Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold is facing questions from lawmakers after a security breach that exposed passwords to election equipment.
The passwords were for voting machines across 34 counties and were leaked just days before Election Day.
Lawmakers Demand Answers Over Security Breach
Lawmakers questioned Griswold about her handling of the breach, which saw hundreds of passwords for voting equipment posted online.
The leak affected equipment in nearly half of Colorado’s counties.
Griswold admitted that she should have informed county clerks sooner and expressed regret for not notifying them right away.
The defense of Griswold was that she intended to fully understand the full extent of the situation prior to disclosing any information.
She stated that acting prematurely could have contributed to the spread of misinformation and confusion regarding the breach.
However, lawmakers questioned her as to why it took so long to act, especially with the election just a few days away.
Delayed Response Raises Concerns
Griswold and her colleagues decided to wait until they had more information about the hack before informing county clerks.
It was intended that this decision would provide them with the opportunity to evaluate the situation and formulate a response.
However, the Colorado Republican Party made the breach public before Griswold's office could take action.
Many critics, including Republican lawmakers, argued that the delay left county clerks unprepared.
The timing of the leak, just before an election, raised concerns about how well the system was being managed.
Some believed that the lack of early communication could have created unnecessary risks during a critical time.
Election Security Remains Intact
Cybersecurity experts and officials from both political parties have expressed confidence in the security of Colorado's election system, despite the disclosure.
They confirmed that no alterations were made to the equipment after the passwords were compromised.
Furthermore, all voting equipment were secure and all impacted passwords were changed prior to Election Day.
The integrity of the election was not affected by the breach, as state officials assured the public.
The system's strict security measures, such as closed areas and surveillance, made it difficult for anyone to get unauthorised entry.
Officials remain confident that Colorado’s 2024 election was safe from tampering.
Investigation Underway and Future Precautions
An outside firm has been hired to investigate how the passwords were exposed, and the Denver District Attorney’s office is also looking into the matter.
Griswold’s office is working with both to determine whether any laws were broken during the breach.
Looking ahead, Griswold’s office has announced that all staff will undergo additional training in cybersecurity and password management.
These new measures are designed to prevent similar issues in the future and ensure that election equipment remains secure.
