February 22, 2018
Contact: Jessica Jones
jjones76@gmu.edu
703-993-8061
National Security Institute Founder and Key NSI Leaders Support Legislation to Protect American Election Infrastructure from Foreign Threats
Arlington, VA – Jamil N. Jaffer, founder of the National Security Institute (NSI) at the Antonin Scalia Law School, George Mason University, and NSI Advisory Board Members former CIA Director Gen. Michael Hayden (ret.), former House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, and Paul Rosenzweig, recently joined a bipartisan group of national security experts supporting the Secure Elections Act.
The Secure Elections Act would provide additional resources to fortify state and local election infrastructure against cybersecurity attacks while preserving traditional state and local control over election administration.
The letter notes that “[i]n recent years, we have seen increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks in countries throughout the world” and further goes on to note that “[w]hile there is no evidence that vote totals in the United States were manipulated in 2016, there is no guarantee that systems will be safe in 2018 or 2020.”
The letter further emphasizes that “[j]ust as the federal government provides state and local governments with grants to support security personnel and first-responders on the front lines of addressing terrorism and other national security threats, this legislation will enable prudent federal and state cost-sharing to deal with pressing cybersecurity issues.”
The full text of the letter can be found here.
About the National Security Institute
The National Security Institute serves as a platform for research, teaching, scholarship, and policy development that incorporates a realistic assessment of the threats facing the United States and its allies, as well as an appreciation of the legal and practical challenges facing U.S. intelligence, defense, law enforcement, homeland security, and cybersecurity communities. NSI draws on the experience of its visiting fellows, as well as its highly distinguished advisory board and faculty, to produce timely research and policy materials that deliver insightful analysis and actionable recommendations to senior policymakers in the White House and key departments and agencies, as well as those on Capitol Hill.
About the Scalia Law School
The Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University is defined by three words: Learn. Challenge. Lead. Students receive an outstanding legal education (Learn), are taught to critically evaluate prevailing orthodoxy and pursue new ideas (Challenge), and, ultimately, are well prepared to distinguish themselves in their chosen fields (Lead). It has been one of America’s top-ranked law schools for the last fifteen years.
About George Mason
George Mason University is Virginia’s largest public research university. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason enrolls more than 33,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Mason has grown rapidly over the past half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity, and commitment to accessibility.