Securing America's Elections


                                                   


With the past election as a prime example, the cyber security of entire nations can now be at stake- not just individuals.

It has become clear through the media as well as leaks in the government, that Russia attempted to manipulate our 2016 election through a variety of ways, but social media being specifically one of them. 



As reported by The guardian, TIME, and countless other news outlets- Russia used ads across social media platforms leading up to the election to not only promote Trump, but also cause intentional racial and civil divides among Americans. Chances are, you more than likely viewed one without even realizing it. Hundreds of millions of views are reported to have taken place on these intentionally misleading ads and announcements. 

This is not an attack on the president, at least on my part. This is a serious issue that both sides of the isle should be concerned about. A foreign nation using our own social media platforms to divide us?!

It does concern somewhat however that our current president is so fond of Putin and Russia, the main culprit behind these ads. Why would anyone want to support a person who is currently trying to divide your nation.

This is just a first taste of what is possible and likely to come in the future as we continue to add more and more media to our lives. 


The implications of these actions will have effects that cannot be foreseen yet. Our own government is currently spending a small fortune and countless hours trying to figure it out themselves. 

We should take this seriously - civil unrest and social unhappiness are on the rise, and we cannot allow another country, or anyone for that matter, working to divide us any further. Our democratic elections are uniquely American and at the heart of what makes our government function. Nothing can compromise their integrity. 

How comfortable are you with these facts that have come to light? What if the news you read about Russia or other foreign countries on your local or national news or media site were in fact paid for by those foreign governments?

Who can we trust in this online world to be honest, to be moral, to bring us information without an agenda?

-McCarthy, T. (2017, October 14). How Russia used Social Media to Divide Americans. Retrieved       October 16, 2017, from www.theguardian.com/us-new/2017/oct/14/russia-us-media-politics-               social-media-facebook









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