voter line

Senate Committee Releases Bipartisan Report on Election Security Threats

The report comes as Senate Republicans move to block election security legislation, arguing that election officials have already fixed the security issues they experienced in 2016.

Just one day after Robert Mueller delivered testimony to Congress about Russian interference in the 2016 elections, the Senate Intelligence Committee released a bipartisan report on Thursday stating that America’s election infrastructure was not secure enough to deal with attacks from Russian intelligence between 2014 and 2017.

The report, the first of five by the committee, was compiled following interviews with state election officials, former Obama administration officials and members of the intelligence community. Senators found that Russia sought to capitalize on the decentralized U.S. voting system, which is mostly run by states with their own systems and policies.

In addition, hackers saw holes in states’ cybersecurity practices, including aging voting machines and insecure election databases. One state used the password “ABC123” for its voting machines and allowed users to switch between supervisor and voter to potentially tamper with votes, according to the report. However, the committee did not find evidence that votes were changed.

“In 2016, cybersecurity for electoral infrastructure at the state and local level was sorely lacking; for example, voter registration databases were not as secure as they could have been,” the report reads. “Despite the focus on this issue since 2016, some of these vulnerabilities remain.”

Among several recommendations, the committee advised states to purchase more secure voting machines, especially those with a paper trail, and conduct regular security audits of voting machines, NBC News reported. The report also emphasized the importance of maintaining “states’ primacy” in conducting elections, which Sen. Ron Wyden objected to in favor of federal oversight.

“There’s still much more we can and must do to protect our elections,” Sen. Mark Warner (D-Virginia)., the top Democrat on the committee, said in a statement. “I hope the bipartisan findings and recommendations outlined in this report will underscore to the White House and all of our colleagues, regardless of political party, that this threat remains urgent, and we have a responsibility to defend our democracy against it.”

While Democrats have pushed hard for legislation related to election security, even passing a bill in the House of Representatives, Senate Republicans have blocked bills from getting out of the committee process or receiving a vote.

Read more: House of Representatives Passes Election Security Bill

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) attempted to get unanimous consent on Thursday to pass the House bill, which requires states to use paper ballots and increases funding to the Election Assistance Commission. The majority leader, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky), blocked the move, arguing that Schumer’s request was not “a serious effort to make a law.”

“Clearly something so partisan that it only received one single solitary Republican vote in the House is not going to travel through the Senate by unanimous consent,” McConnell said, according to The Hill.

McConnell also blocked a similar request to pass legislation that would require candidates, campaign workers and their family members to notify the FBI if foreign governments offered assistance to their campaigns. Republicans have argued that Congress’ current appropriations for election security improvements are enough to fix the issues.

Despite some pushback from his own party, Sen. Richard Burr (R-North Carolina), the committee chairman, has encouraged Congress to take more action in addressing national security threats to the U.S. election system.

He noted that since the 2016 election, the Department of Homeland Security and election officials have “dramatically changed” their approach to security and are working together better to bridge security gaps.

"The progress they've made over the last three years is a testament to what we can accomplish when we give people the opportunity to be part of a solution,” Burr said in a statement. “There is still much work that remains to be done, however … It is my hope that the Senate Intelligence Committee’s bipartisan report will provide the American people with valuable insight into the election security threats still facing our nation and the ways we can address them.”

Featured

  • New Report Reveals Top Trends Transforming Access Controller Technology

    Mercury Security, a provider in access control hardware and open platform solutions, has published its Trends in Access Controllers Report, based on a survey of over 450 security professionals across North America and Europe. The findings highlight the controller’s vital role in a physical access control system (PACS), where the device not only enforces access policies but also connects with readers to verify user credentials—ranging from ID badges to biometrics and mobile identities. With 72% of respondents identifying the controller as a critical or important factor in PACS design, the report underscores how the choice of controller platform has become a strategic decision for today’s security leaders. Read Now

  • Overwhelming Majority of CISOs Anticipate Surge in Cyber Attacks Over the Next Three Years

    An overwhelming 98% of chief information security officers (CISOs) expect a surge in cyber attacks over the next three years as organizations face an increasingly complex and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven digital threat landscape. This is according to new research conducted among 300 CISOs, chief information officers (CIOs), and senior IT professionals by CSC1, the leading provider of enterprise-class domain and domain name system (DNS) security. Read Now

  • ASIS International Introduces New ANSI-Approved Investigations Standard

    • Guard Services
  • Cloud Security Alliance Brings AI-Assisted Auditing to Cloud Computing

    The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), the world’s leading organization dedicated to defining standards, certifications, and best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment, today introduced an innovative addition to its suite of Security, Trust, Assurance and Risk (STAR) Registry assessments with the launch of Valid-AI-ted, an AI-powered, automated validation system. The new tool provides an automated quality check of assurance information of STAR Level 1 self-assessments using state-of-the-art LLM technology. Read Now

  • Report: Nearly 1 in 5 Healthcare Leaders Say Cyberattacks Have Impacted Patient Care

    Omega Systems, a provider of managed IT and security services, today released new research that reveals the growing impact of cybersecurity challenges on leading healthcare organizations and patient safety. According to the 2025 Healthcare IT Landscape Report, 19% of healthcare leaders say a cyberattack has already disrupted patient care, and more than half (52%) believe a fatal cyber-related incident is inevitable within the next five years. Read Now

New Products

  • Mobile Safe Shield

    Mobile Safe Shield

    SafeWood Designs, Inc., a manufacturer of patented bullet resistant products, is excited to announce the launch of the Mobile Safe Shield. The Mobile Safe Shield is a moveable bullet resistant shield that provides protection in the event of an assailant and supplies cover in the event of an active shooter. With a heavy-duty steel frame, quality castor wheels, and bullet resistant core, the Mobile Safe Shield is a perfect addition to any guard station, security desks, courthouses, police stations, schools, office spaces and more. The Mobile Safe Shield is incredibly customizable. Bullet resistant materials are available in UL 752 Levels 1 through 8 and include glass, white board, tack board, veneer, and plastic laminate. Flexibility in bullet resistant materials allows for the Mobile Safe Shield to blend more with current interior décor for a seamless design aesthetic. Optional custom paint colors are also available for the steel frame.

  • HD2055 Modular Barricade

    Delta Scientific’s electric HD2055 modular shallow foundation barricade is tested to ASTM M50/P1 with negative penetration from the vehicle upon impact. With a shallow foundation of only 24 inches, the HD2055 can be installed without worrying about buried power lines and other below grade obstructions. The modular make-up of the barrier also allows you to cover wider roadways by adding additional modules to the system. The HD2055 boasts an Emergency Fast Operation of 1.5 seconds giving the guard ample time to deploy under a high threat situation.

  • ResponderLink

    ResponderLink

    Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), an Alarm.com company and a global leader in gunshot detection solutions, has introduced ResponderLink, a groundbreaking new 911 notification service for gunshot events. ResponderLink completes the circle from detection to 911 notification to first responder awareness, giving law enforcement enhanced situational intelligence they urgently need to save lives. Integrating SDS’s proven gunshot detection system with Noonlight’s SendPolice platform, ResponderLink is the first solution to automatically deliver real-time gunshot detection data to 911 call centers and first responders. When shots are detected, the 911 dispatching center, also known as the Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP, is contacted based on the gunfire location, enabling faster initiation of life-saving emergency protocols.