Nearly 150 state and local election officials, IT staff, and law enforcement officers gathered in Newport Thursday for Rhode Island’s biennial Cybersecurity Summit, as Secretary of State Gregg M. Amore warned of emerging threats, including artificial intelligence and disinformation targeting voters.
The summit brought together representatives from the Rhode Island Board of Elections, Rhode Island Fusion Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the Pell Center at Salve Regina University, along with several national cybersecurity organizations, as Cybersecurity Awareness Month approaches in October.
“With Cybersecurity Awareness Month approaching, I continue to focus on safeguarding our election systems from the evolving field of threats it faces — including artificial intelligence and misinformation targeting voters,” Amore said. “Rhode Islanders should be assured that we remain confident in our election systems and vigilant against cybersecurity threats.”
The daylong event addressed cybersecurity support for cities and towns, foreign influence operations, artificial intelligence threats, and the broader cyber threat landscape facing election infrastructure. Participants included officials from the National Association of State Elections Directors, Oxford Internet Institute, RSM Election Solutions, The Elections Group, and APEX Technologies.
Rhode Island Director of Elections Kathy Placencia emphasized the importance of providing local election officials with current threat information and resources.
“It is important that we continually work with election officials across the state to ensure they have the resources and information they need to serve voters,” Placencia said. “Our office is eager to assist Rhode Island voters in this year’s special elections and the upcoming 2026 elections.”
The summit reflects growing concerns among election officials nationwide about cybersecurity threats, particularly as artificial intelligence tools become more sophisticated and accessible to bad actors seeking to disrupt democratic processes.
The Rhode Island Department of State has expanded its cybersecurity focus beyond elections to include business services and digital records management, recognizing that threats to government systems extend across all operations.
The biennial summit serves as a key forum for sharing best practices and threat intelligence among stakeholders responsible for protecting Rhode Island’s election infrastructure. The collaborative approach brings together state officials, local administrators, technology experts, and law enforcement to address evolving challenges.
Rhode Island voters can find trusted election information at vote.ri.gov as the state prepares for upcoming special elections and the 2026 general election cycle.
