Illinois finalizes its plans to prevent another Russian hack
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Local election officials hoping to use federal cybersecurity funding to upgrade Illinois' decades-old voting machines will have to keep waiting, as the State Board of Elections announced that the majority of the $13.9 million coming into the state will be funneled to training and bolstering cyber defenses.
After Russian hackers breached 76,000 active voter registration records in 2016, State Board of Elections spokesman Matt Dietrich said Illinois became the cybersecurity "poster child," representing the need to secure the country's vulnerable elections systems.