Secretary LaRose issues directive to strengthen election cybersecurity
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose issued a directive on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, looking to strengthen cybersecurity protections in the state.
According to the new release, the decision to issue the directive comes as the National Council of ISACs, also known as NCI, has warned of cybersecurity threats amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
The advisory from the NCI outlines that a potential threat to infrastructure is "increased cyberattacks from Iranian state-sponsored actors, hacktivists and cybercriminal groups aligned with Iran."
Furthermore, the advisory warns against potential physical attacks on public spaces and infrastructure entities.
In the directive, LaRose asks the 88 county Board of Election offices throughout the state to review if they are meeting state security standards, participate in a cybersecurity audit and address findings by August 31.
To support efforts, the Ohio Secretary of State's office will give each county board of elections a $10,000 security grant.
Cybersecurity protections emphasized in the directive include:
- Continuous network monitoring and intrusion detection
- Regular vulnerability scanning and patching of flaws
- Advanced endpoint threat detection tools
- Secure backups of voter registration and other data
- Ongoing cybersecurity training for officials
- Exercises that practice response plans
"Foreign adversaries continue to target American election systems," said LaRose in the release.
LaRose continues," Ohio has taken these threats seriously from day one. This directive ensures our cybersecurity defenses remain strong so voters can continue to have confidence in the integrity of our elections."
The full directive can be read online.
