Washington state will receive $7.9 million to enhance cybersecurity and replace infrastructure, the Washington Secretary of State's Office announced Thursday.
Washington was one of about 20 states Russian hackers targeted in the 2016 election, the Department of Homeland Security identified last year. Secretary of State Kim Wyman in February said hackers tried to penetrate voter registration data, not the voter tabulation systems which is not attached to the Internet.
The new money comes from the federal Consolidated Appropriations Act. As part of the act, Washington must also provide nearly $400,000, bringing the total to about $8.3 million.
"With this funding, we'll be able to bring new resources and technology together to improve our ongoing cybersecurity efforts," said Wyman in a statement.
Washington state has 90 days to provide the federal Election Assistance Commission with a proposed plan on how it will use the funding and improve the integrity of the election process.
