CTCL Online Series: Cybersecurity for Election Officials
Data breaches, ransomware, and denial-of-service attacks are becoming regular headlines in America, but election officials are uniquely positioned on the front lines to help safeguard our democracy while ensuring that each vote counts.
Due to the strong response to our July series, we're offering these cybersecurity courses again at the end of August. Join election officials from around the country in our online series that will empower your election office to manage cyber threats and communicate with the public about cybersecurity.
How it Works
Each 90-min online course will include expert teaching, Q&A, and interactive exercises. All you'll need is a stable internet connection and a computer with a video camera, OR, a reliable phone line if you choose to call in.
We’ll provide you with a video recording and comprehensive participant guide after every course for continued practice on your own or with your team.
Spur new ways of thinking through our interactive breakout exercises. We’ll present a concept and then give you some framework to begin putting that concept into practice. That way, you’ll know how to get started right after class.
Meet new friends and come together on common tech challenges and solutions. Each course will include breakouts and a group discussion.
Open Courses
Orientation
What you'll learn:
- Course objectives and expectations
- Background on the organizations and your instructors
- How to navigate our online training platform successfully
Monday, August 27
1:00–1:30 PM CT
Free
Cybersecurity 101: Introduction
Tuesday, August 28
1:00–2:30 PM CT
$50 per attendee
You'll learn how to:
- Understand complex cybersecurity terminology
- Identify types of cyber threats
- Create stronger login practices
Cybersecurity 201: Intermediate
Wednesday, August 29
1:00–2:30 PM CT
$50 per attendee
You'll learn how to:
- Safeguard your election data
- Apply cybersecurity framework to election systems
- Develop partnerships to overcome security challenges
Cybersecurity 301: Communications
Thursday, August 30
1:00–2:30 PM CT
$50 per attendee
You'll learn how to:
- Inform the public about your office’s security leadership
- Make a cyber incident response plan
- Build media allies
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CTCL Online Series? +
We launched our first in-person training course in 2013 when we helped Mercer County, WV build their very first election website. Since then, we've traveled from town-to-town and state-to-state to help hundreds of election officials around the country learn new tech skills in order to strengthen their relationship with voters, office holders, and candidates. We've worked with directors, county clerks, and election administrators—from their 20s to their 70s. All of whom want to refine and deepen the impact they can bring to the community they're working with, because they know that their skills pave the way for what others can accomplish.
We want to provide true national reach, and make it possible for all election officials to learn, regardless of time, geography, or ability. We want to even the playing field and give election officials easy access to high-quality professional development, which is why we took matters into our own hands and launched CTCL Online Series.
Who should attend? +
Local and state election officials, along with their support teams, are invited to register.
To maintain privacy and foster open discussion of participants, members of the news media, including print, online, and broadcast journalists, may not attend.
Is my attendance required? +
Attendance is not required. We'll provide you with a video recording and a participant guide after every course.
How much does it cost? +
Each course costs $50 USD per participant.
What are the payment methods? +
We accept credit card using the secure check-out process on this page.
You can also pay by check. Please email us at hello@techandciviclife.org. We can register you for courses and send your office an invoice for payment.
I added courses to my cart. Where do I pay? +
For desktop users, select your courses and scroll to the top of the screen to click on a shopping cart in the upper right corner. For mobile users, your shopping cart will automatically display at the bottom of your screen after you select your courses.
I've registered for a course. When will I receive additional information and materials for the course? +
24 hours prior to each course you will receive login information and course materials via the email you provided when you registered.
It's less than 24 hours before my course. Where are my course materials? +
Your course materials may be in your spam folder in your inbox. Please double check! If you are unable to find the email, please contact us at hello@techandciviclife.org.
Meet the Instructors
Meet the Teams
Center for Technology and Civic Life (CTCL)
Center for Technology and Civic Life is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization based in Chicago, Illinois. We leverage the expertise of election offices to share stories, best practices, and drive the development of our #ElectionTools. In turn, we lead a powerful network, ELECTricity, that connects election offices from across the country. We are dedicated to providing election administrators easy access to free and low-cost tech tools and high-quality professional development courses.
Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT)
Center for Democracy & Technology is a champion of global online civil liberties and human rights, driving policy outcomes that keep the internet open, innovative, and free. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, CDT support laws, corporate policies, and technology tools that protect the privacy of internet users. Headquartered in Washington, with an international presence in London and Brussels, CDT works inclusively across sectors and the political spectrum to find tangible solutions to today's most pressing internet policy challenges.