Election security is a priority for SC CIC since elections are classified as critical infrastructure as a subsector of the Government Facilities Sector. SC CIC has established a strong working partnership with the South Carolina Election Commission (SEC), and both are dedicated to ensuring the safety and security of elections in the state. The SEC is also a part of the SC CIC Task Force, whose members can be engaged in the event of an election incident, ensuring swift response and resolution.

As an ongoing effort, the SEC partners with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing & Analysis Center (EI-ISAC) to conduct security trainings, workshops, tabletop exercises, and assessments for state and county staff throughout the year. SC CIC supplements the SEC’s efforts by analyzing assessment data and helping to make recommendations for improvements.

SC CIC also assisted the SEC leading up to the 2024 Presidential Election by compiling resources available to voter registration and county election offices that would help improve their security posture. SC CIC then led regional workshops with the SEC to share these with key leadership at each election facility and answer questions about how to take advantage of them. Representatives from CISA and EI-ISAC were also invited to ensure participants left with direct contacts and actionable next steps to utilize these resources. This partnership lends the cybersecurity expertise of the SC CIC team as well as its resources to the SEC, which helps better secure the state’s elections overall to ensure that the citizens of South Carolina can trust the process and results.

Resources for Elections:

South Carolina Election Commission (SEC)

The SEC is responsible for ensuring that every eligible citizen can register to vote and participate in fair and impartial elections with the assurance that every vote will count. The SEC focuses on ensuring that county election offices are secure from the cyber-related threats that have the potential to impact election offices and the election.

South Carolina Association of Registration & Elections Officials (SCARE)

SCARE is a network of county registration and election officials with a platform to recommend improvements to existing registration and election laws, build relationships, and advocate for registration and election legislation in South Carolina. SCARE is a subsidiary of the South Carolina Association of Counties.

Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing & Analysis Center (EI-ISAC)

Information Sharing & Analysis Centers (ISACs) help critical infrastructure professionals protect their infrastructure and employees from cybersecurity threats through the collection, analysis, and dissemination of threat information. ISACs help increase situational awareness across the critical infrastructure sectors through information sharing, partnerships, and networking opportunities.