MEDIA ADVISORY: Alaska Election Cybersecurity Workshop Thursday
On Thursday, September 3, 2020, the USC Election Cybersecurity Initiative will host a free online Alaska workshop, offering resources to campaigns, election workers, elected officials, academics, media and concerned citizens to reinforce election cybersecurity measures.
Contact: Tiffany Shackelford (703) 470-2996 or tshackel@usc.edu; Emily Gersema, (213) 740-6973 or gersema@usc.edu; or Ted Kissell, (714) 316-8808 or tkissell@usc.edu
Alaska Lieutenant Governor Kevin Meyer and other experts will lead discussions on election cybersecurity on Thursday afternoon with state and local officials, and campaign representatives to help improve election cybersecurity in Alaska. Topics will include cyber safety, disinformation and misinformation, and crisis communications.
The USC Election Cybersecurity Initiative, supported by a generous gift from Google, is an independent, bipartisan effort to strengthen election cybersecurity through workshops held for each of the 50 states.
“We are going to all 50 states, in person when possible or virtually when we cannot, to make certain information about best practices is available to everyone, but especially for those in campaigns and elections,” said Adam Clayton Powell III, executive director of the project. “We are a national campaign, and our candidate is democracy.”
The initiative kicked off in January in Maryland, drawing experts in national security, elected officials, as well as journalists and concerned members of the public. It continued to Ohio, California, Kentucky, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arkansas, Virginia, Louisiana, Wyoming, Iowa, South Carolina, Delaware, Montana, Utah, Missouri, Alabama, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Connecticut, Kansas, Idaho, Vermont, North Dakota, Nebraska, Washington, Maine, Oregon, Florida, Illinois, Wisconsin, South Dakota, Colorado, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Mexico, North Carolina, New Jersey, Texas, and now Alaska.
“In advance of the 2020 election, we are committed to enhancing election security for voters, campaigns and journalists alike,” said Kristie Canegallo, vice president of Google’s Trust and Safety team. “We’re proud to support USC’s Election Security and Information Project to provide comprehensive training to candidates, campaigns, academics, elected officials, and NGOs to help them prepare for security challenges before the 2020 election.”
“With just about two months before election day 2020, it’s more important than ever that our campaigns and elections are armed with all the tools at their disposal. We look forward to bringing our best practices to Alaska, but also hearing what state leaders and influencers like Gail Fenumiai and others are already doing to help defend democracy,” said Justin Giffin, the initiative’s Managing Director.
WHAT: USC Election Cybersecurity Initiative. The topics covered include cyber safety, disinformation and misinformation, and crisis communication.
WHO: Experts speaking include:
- Kevin Meyer, Alaska Lieutenant Governor
- Glenn Clary, Chairman, Alaska Republican Party
- Scott M. Kendall, Counsel, Holmes Weddle & Barcott, PC
- Erin Barker, Data Director and Political Coordinator, Alaska Democratic Party
- Andrew Kitchenman, State Government and Politics Reporter, KTOO
- Evan Anderson, Director of Civic Engagement, The Alaska Center
- Clifford Neuman, Director, USC Center for Computer Systems Security; Senior Project Leader, USC Information Sciences Institute; and Associate Research Professor of Computer Science, USC Viterbi School of Engineering
- Dave Quast, Adjunct Professor, USC Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism; Crisis Communications and Public Affairs Consultant
- Sarah Mojarad, Lecturer, USC Viterbi School of Engineering
- Adam Clayton Powell III, Executive Director, USC Election Cybersecurity Initiative, and former USC Vice Provost
- Justin Griffin, Managing Director, USC Election Cybersecurity Initiative, and veteran of corporate reputation and political campaigns
WHERE: Zoom Event. You will receive credentials upon registration.
WHEN: Thursday, September 3, 2020 10:30 AM – 12:45 PM Alaska Time
REGISTRATION: To attend, register here: http://bit.ly/uscAK-workshop-mediaadvisory
MORE INFORMATION: The initiative is led by the USC Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership and Policy, established by University Professor Geoffrey Cowan, who is the principal investigator for the USC Elections Cybersecurity Initiative. For more background on CCLP, please visit its website.