Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate announced formation of the Iowa Election Cybersecurity Working Group on Friday, which will identify challenges to election cybersecurity and potential solutions ahead of the 2018 elections, Pate said. The formation was one of several steps announced by Pate to address electoral cybersecurity, including the expected total replacement of the I-Voters registration database — which Pate said would require assistance from the Iowa Legislature — inviting the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to conduct vulnerability assessments on Iowa’s systems, and encrypting electronic poll books and data transfers. The group includes representatives from the U.S. and Iowa departments of homeland security, the U.S. Elections Assistance Commission, the Iowa National Guard, county auditors and information technology specialists, and Iowa’s Office of the Chief Information Officer. Pate was joined in Cedar Rapids by U.S. Department of Homeland Security adviser Matt Masterson for the announcement.