Oct. 20, 2020—Northern Kentucky University’s Dr. James Walden, one of NKU’s cyber threat experts, takes a deep dive into the 2020 General Election and the security and interference issues we face. On Oct. 21, Dr. Walden unpacks where there are weaknesses and identifies how we can improve the safety of our democratic process.  

Presented by NKU’s Informatics+ Center and the NKY Forum, Dr. Walden leads a conversation to provide a better understanding of what happens to your vote and how it can be hacked at any stage, from registration to how it’s counted in the electoral college.

“As elections become increasingly computerized, we need to understand cybersecurity threats to our nation's sovereignty,” said Dr. Walden, director of NKU's undergraduate cybersecurity program. “By examining election systems from an attacker's viewpoint, we will identify weak links in security and points of high leverage for altering election outcomes in this unique election year.”

• What: Elections & Security Issues: Past, Present & Future Areas of Concern
• When: Oct. 21, at 6 p.m.
• Where: Zoom link provided upon registration

NKU continues to provide voters with resources to make informed decisions before heading to the polls on Nov. 3. The Northerner, NKU’s independent student-run news organization, collaborated with local news outlet Northern Kentucky Tribune to produce a special online section on regional and state races. The Steely Library also compiled a list of the Top 10 Tips to GearUp to Vote.

The Scripps Howard Center, along with Enrollment & Degree Management and the New Student Orientation Office, worked this summer to send all incoming freshmen an NKU VOTE imprinted face mask along with a reminder postcard with information about our #NKUVotes website. 

Dr. Walden’s discussion is free and open to community members. To learn more and to register, visit the NKY Forum website.