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N.Y. State, DHS to practice to protect election process

New York State, in conjunction with the federal government, plans to hold drills during the weeks preceding the primary elections to help prevent any cyber intrusion into the electoral process.

The drills are designed to secure the upcoming election cycle and prevent the type of Russian interference that took place in during the 2016 presidential election, the New York Post reported. The drills start on May 31 and run through June 18 and consist of meetings hosted by the Department of Homeland Security and the N.Y. Board of Elections in the state's six electoral regions. Additional security meetings will be held between state and local officials.

The regional tabletop exercises will cover all of New York's county election jurisdictions and while basically, similar each will take into consideration local needs. The scenarios covered include manipulation of the election process through social media, dealing with a ransomware attack and the possible exploitation of board of election computer networks.

“These exercises in partnership with state and federal agencies will provide the needed training to identify and address potential incidents of cybersecurity when it comes to our electoral process,” said Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul in a statement.

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