In support of Secretary Raffensperger’s four-point plan for election security, the Secretary of State’s office hosted a comprehensive tabletop exercise focused on cyber and physical security in elections, brought together by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and state and local partners. The statewide event, held Wednesday, demonstrated a collaborative approach to safeguarding the electoral process through rigorous scenario planning and real-time threat detection and mitigation strategies.

The exercise drew nearly 300 participants, including county election officials from across Georgia, county IT departments, federal partners from the FBI, CISA, and leading vendors. This key audience convened to tackle a series of simulated scenarios designed to test and enhance the resilience of Georgia’s election systems and share knowledge among key stakeholders in the election community.

Participants worked through three distinct scenarios designed to address critical aspects of election security, including addressing ransomware attacks, addressing swatting incidents, and addressing hardening cybersystems in order to strengthen resilience and recovery.

The exercise aimed to strengthen collaboration among local, state, and federal entities, ensuring a robust response potential threats. By simulating these high-stakes scenarios, the event provided invaluable insights into the strengths and areas for improvement in current election security protocols.

Secretary Raffensperger emphasized the importance of such exercises in preparing counties for the November election, stating: "Today's exercise was a testament to the commitment of our county election directors to ensuring safe and secure elections. By working together and preparing for potential threats, we are reinforcing the trust that the public places in our election systems.”

The event highlights just one aspect of the Secretary’s commitment to a secure 2024 election. The Secretary thanks CISA, and other state and federal partners who are working tirelessly to serve their communities throughout Georgia and the nation.