August 12th, 2025
PHOENIX — Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes is calling for $10 million in initial cybersecurity funding and $3.5 million in annual support to modernize and protect Arizona’s election infrastructure following a recent attempted cyberattack on the Secretary of State’s candidate portal.
Fontes made the funding appeal during a bipartisan closed-door briefing to the Arizona Legislature earlier today, where he outlined the scope of the incident and stressed the urgent need for sustainable investment in election system security.
“Our defenses held this time—but we can't rely on outdated systems to protect us forever,” Fontes said. “We need to modernize our infrastructure now, not after something goes wrong.”
Incident Contained; Critical Systems Unaffected
The attempted intrusion, believed to be linked to an Iranian-affiliated threat actor, targeted the backend of the candidate portal. The system was quickly isolated and secured, thanks to existing cybersecurity protocols and close collaboration with the Arizona Department of Homeland Security.
Fontes emphasized that no sensitive data was accessed, and two of the state’s most critical systems—the AVID system (Arizona Voter Information Database) and the ACP system (which protects the personal information of vulnerable individuals)—were not touched. Both systems operate on fully separate, secure networks and were never at risk.
Long-Term Protection Requires Long-Term Investment
In his remarks, Fontes explained that while Arizona’s election security protocols are strong, they are being maintained on infrastructure that requires urgent modernization. He noted that the requested $10 million would fund immediate upgrades to critical election systems, while the $3.5 million annual investment would support continuous maintenance, monitoring, and protection.
“Cybersecurity isn’t a one-time cost—it’s an ongoing responsibility,” Fontes said. “We’re facing increasingly sophisticated threats, and we must match that with sustained vigilance and resources.”
Bipartisan Support and Transparency
Legislators from both parties recognized the seriousness of the situation and held a productive conversation with the Secretary about funding and his clear commitment to protecting the integrity of Arizona’s electoral process.
“Cybersecurity is not a partisan issue—it’s about trust in our democracy,” Fontes told lawmakers. “We have a duty to ensure our systems remain secure, modern, and resilient—now and for every election to come.”
Appropriate federal agencies were notified by the partner agency Arizona Department of Homeland Security, which works routinely with the secretary of state's office on all security matters. A public summary of the incident and the Office’s response will be released later this week, alongside updated cybersecurity guidance for local election officials and candidate portal users. back...
Fontes made the funding appeal during a bipartisan closed-door briefing to the Arizona Legislature earlier today, where he outlined the scope of the incident and stressed the urgent need for sustainable investment in election system security.
“Our defenses held this time—but we can't rely on outdated systems to protect us forever,” Fontes said. “We need to modernize our infrastructure now, not after something goes wrong.”
Incident Contained; Critical Systems Unaffected
The attempted intrusion, believed to be linked to an Iranian-affiliated threat actor, targeted the backend of the candidate portal. The system was quickly isolated and secured, thanks to existing cybersecurity protocols and close collaboration with the Arizona Department of Homeland Security.
Fontes emphasized that no sensitive data was accessed, and two of the state’s most critical systems—the AVID system (Arizona Voter Information Database) and the ACP system (which protects the personal information of vulnerable individuals)—were not touched. Both systems operate on fully separate, secure networks and were never at risk.
Long-Term Protection Requires Long-Term Investment
In his remarks, Fontes explained that while Arizona’s election security protocols are strong, they are being maintained on infrastructure that requires urgent modernization. He noted that the requested $10 million would fund immediate upgrades to critical election systems, while the $3.5 million annual investment would support continuous maintenance, monitoring, and protection.
“Cybersecurity isn’t a one-time cost—it’s an ongoing responsibility,” Fontes said. “We’re facing increasingly sophisticated threats, and we must match that with sustained vigilance and resources.”
Bipartisan Support and Transparency
Legislators from both parties recognized the seriousness of the situation and held a productive conversation with the Secretary about funding and his clear commitment to protecting the integrity of Arizona’s electoral process.
“Cybersecurity is not a partisan issue—it’s about trust in our democracy,” Fontes told lawmakers. “We have a duty to ensure our systems remain secure, modern, and resilient—now and for every election to come.”
Appropriate federal agencies were notified by the partner agency Arizona Department of Homeland Security, which works routinely with the secretary of state's office on all security matters. A public summary of the incident and the Office’s response will be released later this week, alongside updated cybersecurity guidance for local election officials and candidate portal users. back...
