# Election Authorities Strengthen Cybersecurity

State and local election systems face cybersecurity needs around protecting result-consolidation points, segmenting networks, using AI-enabled defenses, and validating election information more quickly. Illumio Public Sector CTO Gary Barlet emphasized containing critical assets and limiting their connections to only necessary systems. The signal identifies no specific solicitation, award, funding amount, or procurement contact, but points to potential demand for election cybersecurity products and services across state and local governments.

- State and local procurement teams may evaluate protections for election result-collection and consolidation systems, including network segmentation and controls that limit unnecessary system connections.
- Contractors offering election cybersecurity capabilities can align offerings with these identified needs, including AI-enabled defenses and faster validation of election information.
- The signal recommends tracking federal assistance programs and state and local buying activity; it does not identify a current funding opportunity or solicitation.

**Jurisdictions:** sled
**Industries:** Information Technology
**Topics:** Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence
**Published:** October 30, 2026

### Government Entities
- State election authorities
- Local election authorities

### Vendors
- Illumio ()

### Key Quotes
> They should take those collection points, those critical assets, and they should have an understanding of what other systems they’re talking to, but more importantly, put containment boundaries around those systems to ensure that they’re only talking to the things they absolutely need to be talking to.
> — Gary Barlet, Public Sector Chief Technology Officer, Illumio

### Sources
- [Illumio CTO: AI Is Both a Threat and a Tool for Election Security – MeriTalk](https://www.meritalk.com/articles/illumio-cto-ai-is-both-a-threat-and-a-tool-for-election-security) - MeriTalk