{"id":14795,"date":"2018-02-14T16:39:28","date_gmt":"2018-02-14T16:39:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/uncategorized\/2018\/02\/14\/dod-reputation-offers-secret-weapon-in-election-cybersecurity\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T04:40:56","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T04:40:56","slug":"dod-reputation-offers-secret-weapon-in-election-cybersecurity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/cyber\/2018\/02\/14\/dod-reputation-offers-secret-weapon-in-election-cybersecurity\/","title":{"rendered":"DoD\u2019s secret weapon against election meddling: its reputation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In the fight against election meddling and interference, the military\u2019s reputation for public reliability offers a powerful weapon for protecting voters<\/a>, according to experts who spoke before the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Cybersecurity Feb. 13, 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs one of the most trusted institutions in the United States, the Department of Defense must leverage that trust with the American people to mitigate Russian influence<\/a>,\u201d said Heather Conley, director of the Europe Program Center for Strategic and International Studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSimply put, the Department of Defense has to model the bipartisan and fact-based action, behavior and awareness that will help reduce societal division. This is about leadership. It\u2019s about protecting the United States. And as far as I can see, that is in the Department of Defense job description.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Gallup tracking of public confidence in institutions, 72 percent of the public said they had a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in the military in 2017. Comparatively, only 32 percent had the same level of confidence in the presidency, 12 percent in Congress and 27 percent in newspapers.<\/p>\n\n\n