New Rapid Response Election Security Team Announced by Secretary of State

Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold announced the creation of a new Rapid Response Election Security Cyber Unit Monday, July 20 to help protect Colorado’s elections from cyber-attacks, foreign interference, and disinformation campaigns.

The Rapid Response Election Security Cyber Unit (RESCU) consists of a team of five highly-trained election security experts led by Nathan Blumenthal that will work with counties to expand cyber preparedness. Additionally, the team will aid counties through fighting disinformation.

“States must be equipped to withstand attacks from foreign countries on our election infrastructure and increased cyber hostility,” said Secretary Griswold. “RESCU will focus on bridging the gap between cyber experts and county election administrators and on strategies to combat cyber-attacks and disinformation,” said Griswold.

RESCU is just one team of experts dedicated to elections joining the Secretary of State Office’s IT department containing 40 experts as well as a four-person cybersecurity IT team, led by the Department’s Chief Information Security Officer Craig Buesing. Colorado has a long history of protecting elections and Griswold has dedicated herself to cybersecurity.

Additionally, Secretary Griswold has worked with the intelligence community to declassify threat information so states can manage ongoing threats in a timely manner. The state will continue to work closely with the experts at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) as well as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to ensure that the state’s elections are protected.    

The creation of RESCU is reflective of Colorado’s leadership in cybersecurity, and will help us continue to be the safest state in the nation to cast a ballot,” said Griswold.

For more information regarding the Secretary of State, visit: www.sos.state.co.us