NEWPORT, R.I. (AP) – Rhode Island election officials, homeland security officers and technology experts have gathered for a summit on election cybersecurity.
Democratic Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea organized Friday’s event at Salve Regina University’s Pell Center in Newport.
She says that while the threat posed by those intent on disrupting American democracy remains serious, officials throughout the state are taking important steps to safeguard the state’s elections.
Experts at the summit discussed Russian efforts to interfere with the 2016 election and emerging threats for 2020, as well as what’s being done at the state and federal level to combat election disinformation and attacks on voting systems.
Gorbea also convened a cybersecurity summit two years ago. She says collaboration between state, local and federal officials is key to preventing election interference.
