LEGISLATORS OK $19.2M TO BOOST CYBERSECURITY

Federal indictment tabbed Florida as hackers’ target.

TALLAHASSEE — A week after a federal indictment claimed that several Florida county election sites were targeted by Russian hackers during the 2016 campaign, state lawmakers Thursday approved spending $19.2 million in federal money to improve security.

The Legislative Budget Commission formally accepted the money, most of which will be distributed across all 67 counties. The extra spending is intended to help counties make security improvements, said Secretary of State Ken Detzner, the state’s top elections official.

“The monies can be used for cybersecurity,” Detzner said, adding that it will go toward “preventing any access, breach, hack or however you want to define it, of our election system.”

The indictment of 12 Russian intelligence officers last week for hacking into the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton’s campaign included allegations that an email account sent more than 100 “spearphishing” emails with malware to infect host computers in several unnamed Florida counties.

Detzner told lawmakers that his office was notified last September by federal officials about the attempted breach. But he said Florida’s online elections databases and voting systems remained secure.

When pressed later by reporters, Detzner declined to say what counties were targeted. Instead, he said the additional funding will help ensure that the state’s Aug. 28 primaries and Nov. 6 general election are secure.

Detzner downplayed criticism by some county elections officials that the money is coming too late to make a difference in this year’s elections. But he acknowledged that concerns about hacking are now a constant concern for elections officials.

“I think about it every day. We prepare for it every day. And that’s the way to get ready for an election and secure your election,” Detzner said.

Detzner earlier this year told county elections supervisors that Florida would not access the federal money for the upcoming campaign season, but was later overruled by Gov. Rick Scott. The governor also ordered the hiring of five cybersecurity specialists as consultants, after the Legislature failed to approve the addition.

“It’s never too late,” said Ron Labasky, general counsel for the Florida State Association of Supervisors of Elections. “Any little bit will help.”

In other action Thursday, the LBC approved steering an additional $13.3 million to the Office of Medical Marijuana Use within the state’s Department of Health to create more patient and caregiver identification cards, upgrade the patient registry and provide call center support.

Lawmakers also agreed to shift $3.1 million within the Department of Children and Families to homeless programs that were shorted money because of an apparent budget glitch.

GateHouse Media Florida reported last month that 27 homeless agencies from the Keys to the Panhandle looked likely to lose $4.1 million that had been set aside, but not properly allocated, by the Legislature.

The action Thursday brings back a large portion of what advocates say is already a small amount spent in the state budget to help struggling Floridians.