Dialogue with Afro-Mexican Women and AIEEF
On Monday, the National Electoral Institute (INE) held a dialogue meeting with afro-Mexican women and AIEEF, who presented their proposals to be integrated into the document to be delivered to the Presidential Commission for Electoral Reform and the Legislative Power.
Cybersecurity Assurances from INE
Javier Alberto Pérez de Acha, Head of the Technical Unit for Information Technology Services at INE, stated that there has never been any cyber risk in the organization despite acknowledging a hacking incident last year during the electoral period. He emphasized that the issue was promptly addressed and contained.
Pérez de Acha reassured, “The truth is that there is no risk in INE regarding cyber matters. We review everything, and everything is in order. There are no vulnerabilities. Historically, the institute has always been protected, but today we are more protected than ever and will be even more so.”
He further elaborated on the institute’s ongoing efforts in cybersecurity, stating, “We are working on a large project related to cybersecurity, building and constructing it further to significantly enhance the institute’s security. We will increase security by double or triple standards, given our increasing digitalization.”
Protection of the Electoral Registry
Alejandro Sosa, Director of the Executive Unit of the Federal Register of Voters, confirmed that the electoral registry is secure as it is isolated from the networks used by institutional systems.
Sosa explained, “The electoral registry has restricted access, controls, constant security reviews, and verifications. Therefore, the electoral registry has not been compromised and will not be due to our collaboration with the Technical Unit for Information Technology Services to ensure personal data protection.”
Misuse of Electoral Information
Despite these assurances, Sosa acknowledged that since its inception, approximately 3,000 cases of mismanagement of this information by officials have been identified. Out of these, 21 cases have reached the penal stage.
Key Questions and Answers
- Q: Has INE experienced any cybersecurity risks?
A: Javier Alberto Pérez de Acha, Head of the Technical Unit for Information Technology Services at INE, stated that there has never been any cyber risk in the organization. He mentioned a past hacking incident during the electoral period last year, which was addressed and contained promptly.
- Q: How is the electoral registry protected?
A: Alejandro Sosa, Director of the Executive Unit of the Federal Register of Voters, explained that the electoral registry is secure due to its isolation from institutional networks and strict access controls, constant security reviews, and verifications.
- Q: How many cases of misuse of electoral information have been identified?
A: Since its creation, around 3,000 cases of mismanagement of electoral information by officials have been detected. Out of these, 21 cases have reached the penal stage.
