Tag Archive for: Ohio

Ohio election security tested after attempted hack in Lake County

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YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – An attempt at hacking into one of Ohio’s 88 boards of elections failed.

Mahoning County Elections Board Director Tom McCabe said it’s because of the security measures put in place by the Secretary of State.

Last week, we learned a worker in Lake County plugged their own personal computer into the government system last spring in an apparent attempt to gain access to election information. McCabe said their systems are very secure.

“None of our voting equipment is connected to the internet. They’re not connected to any local network whatsoever. They are all independent standing machines and what we actually count the votes on here is an internal network,” McCabe said.

Both the Secretary of State and the FBI are now investigating the hacking attempt.

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Ohio County ‘Shocked’ After Mike Lindell Event Shares Its Computers’ Data, Spurs FBI Probe

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An Ohio county was “shocked” after screen shots from its computer system were shared at MyPillow founder Mike Lindell‘s cyber symposium in August to promote baseless claims of election fraud.

Lindell has been a key promoter of former President Donald Trump‘s unfounded conspiracy theory that the 2020 election was “rigged” or “stolen” in favor of President Joe Biden. Although Lindell and others continue to spread the misinformation, the “evidence” they have brought forward to support their theory has been consistently discredited and debunked.

During an August cyber symposium organized by Lindell, screen shots from a Lake County computer system not involved in conducting elections were shared as alleged “evidence” of election fraud, The Washington Post first reported on Friday.

Lake County official quickly began looking into the issue, confused by how and why the information was used in Lindell’s event.

“We were shocked that sleepy little Lake County, where nobody had ever made a suggestion of election malfeasance, was suddenly being splashed around a cyber symposium,” Lake County auditor Christopher Galloway told Cleveland.com.

Galloway said he quickly began working with county and state officials to see how the data had been accessed and shared.

Mike Lindell
Data from an Ohio county computer system was shared at My Pillow founder Mike Lindell’s cyber symposium in August. In this photo, Lindell waits outside the West Wing of the White House on January 15 in Washington, D.C.
Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Galloway pointed out that the screen shots and data shared at Lindell’s symposium was “a lot of nothing.” He explained that “it was some copier talking to a desktop saying ‘I am still here waiting for you to send me a print job.'”

He told Cleveland.com that someone in the Lake County commissioners’ offices appears to have plugged a laptop into an ethernet port on the day of Ohio’s May 4 primaries to access and copy the bogus data for several hours.

State and county officials shared their findings with the FBI, which is reportedly investigating. However, they have confirmed that no significant data was compromised.

“We are thrilled that our infrastructure stayed strong,” Ross McDonald, director of the…

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Ohio State announces additional $20 million for safety and security

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The Ohio State University will invest an additional $2 million per year over the next decade to enhance safety and security on and around campus, President Kristina M. Johnson and Columbus Mayor Andrew J. Ginther announced today. The total investment is expected to be at least $20 million.

The announcement comes after an increase in gun violence in Columbus.

“We are all committed to working hand-in-hand until this problem is solved in our community and our city,” Johnson said.

Ohio State issued a neighborhood safety notice this morning after police responded to a home near Tuller Street and Woodruff Avenue, following a report of someone discharging a firearm near a home. Johnson and Ginther said gun violence in the city must stop.

Ginther pointed to a shooting in Columbus last night where a 12- and 16-year-old were injured. He said these violent crimes are more than statistics.

“These incidents of violence have become all too familiar, but they remain just as tragic, devastating, infuriating and unacceptable as ever,” Ginther said. “Safety in all of our neighborhoods is my top priority. We will continue working closely with our partners at Ohio State around the clock to help prevent crime and hold those who commit crimes accountable.”

The additional funding is part of a continuing effort to enhance safety in the university community. Since the tragic shooting death of Ohio State student Chase Meola last year, the university has invested more than $1 million in safety measures.

“It is not enough. We must do more,” Johnson said.

The additional funding begins immediately and is dedicated to the following enhancements:

  • Immediately expanding by an order of magnitude off-campus security, including by using additional private security, as well as continuing support for Community Crime Patrol. This increased security will include additional campus service officers, who will immediately expand their patrols into the University District.
  • Adding additional mobile lighting and at least another 10 mobile camera systems to saturate the area where Ohio State students live.
  • Extending the Lyft Ride Smart program on High Street to include getting students…

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