cybersecurity democracy democratic institutions russia Russian Interference

Senators Ask Director of National Intelligence About Russian Meddling

Today the Senate Armed Services Committee held a hearing that addressed concerns about Russian interference in upcoming elections. In his opening statement, the Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats stated that Russia views its influence on the 2016 election as successful and emphasized the threat that Russian cyberattacks pose to U.S. democracy. Coats testified that the U.S.'s response has not been sufficient to deter Russia from interfering in the 2018 midterm elections, agreeing with testimony of Admiral Michael Rogers, the Commander of U.S. Cyber Command, in a hearing last week. Coats called the U.S.'s strategy to combat Russian interference a "whole government approach," but it concerned some Senators that there was no lead agency in charge of this effort, including Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) who said that it caused her to conclude that it is "not a top priority" for the President. EPIC launched a project on Democracy and Cybersecurity in response to Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

March 6, 2018| Share: