DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate and county auditors in Cerro Gordo, Clay and Sioux Counties are joining forces to participate in a pilot program for the Center of Internet Security's self-assessment cybersecurity tool. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security requested that Secretary Pate recommend a handful of Iowa counties to test the tool.

"Cybersecurity is a constant battle for election officials and it requires a statewide team effort to ensure the integrity of our elections," Secretary Pate said. "We must constantly remain vigilant against cybersecurity threats. I want to thank the county auditors that joined us for this project. This tool will boost our efforts to protect the sanctity of the vote in Iowa."

The self-assessment tool is aimed at helping counties measure their cybersecurity readiness. It will become one of the Center for Internet Security's Elections Best Practices tools for election officials.

County auditors participating in the pilot program include Marge Pitts from Clay County, Ryan Dokter from Sioux County and Riley Dirksen from Cerro Gordo County.

"We take conducting elections very seriously, and the CIS self-assessment tool is another method in which we can further protect our equipment and voter information from any kind of interference," said Sioux County Auditor Ryan Dokter. "We are pleased to be a part of this pilot program and appreciate the support from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Secretary of State's office."

"The work done by the Office of the Chief Information Officer and the Iowa Department of Homeland Security is not new in Iowa but due to the federal government identification of election security as a critical infrastructure nationwide has allowed the flow of dollars and opportunities to our level," said Clay County Auditor Marge Pitts. "The efforts of Secretary Pate and all county auditors will demonstrate our resolve to protect our elections."

The Center for Internet Security (CIS) is a forward-thinking, non-profit entity that harnesses the power of a global IT community to safeguard private and public organizations against cyber threats.

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