Google, Jigsaw Offer Free Cyber Protection to Election Sites

The Protect Your Election package from Google and Jigsaw includes password alert and two-step verification for candidates and campaigns.

Google and sister company Jigsaw are offering free cyber protection to election organizers and civic groups amid the growth of politically motivated cyberattacks, especially during election time, Reuters reports. Protect Your Election is offered to individuals and low-budget organizations, and seen as particularly important given the upcoming polls in France, South Korea, and Germany.

This package is in addition to Project Shield from Jigsaw, which has been offered to news sites over the past year to ward off distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks.

The tech industry has been under fire for not doing enough to provide protection, especially after the recent Twitter hack during the Dutch elections and the more high-profile hack of Democrats during the US polls last year. Attacks during election time are viewed as costly for victims.

The Protect Your Election toolkit includes Password Alert and Two-Step Verification, and is meant for candidates and campaigns. News and human rights websites, and election-related websites, can apply for Project Shield, says Jigsaw. Package details here.

Read more on Reuters.

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