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21118 JUL A H1118
July 2,2018

The Honorable Paul A. Lux

Okaloosa County Supervisor of Elections
302 Wilson Street North, Suite 102
Crestview, FL 32536

Thank you for all your efforts to prepare your county for Florida?s upcoming primary and
general elections. This year is demanding greater awareness of cyber threats, technical expertise,
and cooperation among all levels of government than perhaps any other year.

Russian government actors targeted our election infrastructure during the 2016 elections.
The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence recently released a summary of its ?ndings
regarding the scanning and penetration of state systems in 2016, along with recommendations for
addressing vulnerabilities. Those ?ndings included that Russia was preparing to undermine
con?dence in our voting process and that, in a small number of cases, cyber actors af?liated with -
the Russian Government accessed voter registration databases. The Committee further reported
that, because the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) depends on states and localities self-
reporting suspicious activity, and that activity is often dif?cult to ?nd, ?it is possible that
additional activity occurred and has not yet been uncovered.?

County election boards should not be expected to stand alone against a hostile foreign
government. The Committee recommended?and DHS now offers?a Wide range of services to
state and local of?cials that will support your efforts to make your systems secure. DHS will
follow your lead and meet your needs with a tailored set of options. We encourage you in the
strongest terms to take advantage of those resources, and to let us know about your experience
with DHS and Bl.

Elections run by local of?cials are the bedrock of our democracy. Our decentralized
system is a strength, but it also means the responsibility resides with each of us to be sure our
locality is secure. We look forward to working with you, DHS, and FBI to ensure successful and
secure elections this year.

Sincerely,

Wk arr/Minn

Mai'co Rublo Bill Nelson