In a recent government meeting, officials discussed a cybersecurity breach that occurred earlier this year, with assurances that no data was lost and that the technical services department acted swiftly to mitigate the incident. Angie, a representative from the IT department, confirmed that the forensic investigation is ongoing but emphasized that the breach resulted in only nominal data being accessed. The department is confident in its cybersecurity measures and has no intention of withholding information from the public.

However, the meeting took a contentious turn when Commissioner Gittens raised concerns about a proposed contract with a third-party vendor, An Island, for election data management. Gittens, along with former mayor John Fernandez and Judith Benckhardt, expressed strong opposition to the contract, citing its high cost and perceived inadequacies in data security standards. Gittens criticized the contract for lacking compliance with recognized security standards and questioned the necessity of outsourcing election data management when the county's own GIS system could suffice.

The discussion highlighted a lack of clarity regarding the responsibilities of the election board and the clerk's office in reporting election results. Legal counsel clarified that while the election board is statutorily responsible for canvassing, the clerk has historically managed this task. The meeting also revealed procedural gaps, such as missing minutes from previous election board meetings and an unapproved training manual for election workers.

An Island's representative defended the contract, stating that the company had reduced its fees by $11,000 and emphasized the security measures in place, including multi-factor authentication. However, skepticism remained among commissioners regarding the necessity and effectiveness of the proposed system.

As public comments were invited, citizens raised questions about the clerk's ability to manage election data and the importance of ensuring accurate results over speed in reporting. The meeting concluded with a call for further discussion on the contract and the ongoing cybersecurity measures, underscoring the need for transparency and accountability in the election process.