Supervisor of Elections Ana Mataiciwa [Photo: FILE]
The Fijian Elections Office has strengthened its cybersecurity systems to safeguard electoral information and prevent a repeat of the technical issues experienced during the 2022 General Election.
Supervisor of Elections Ana Mataiciwa says the office has invested in its Information and Communications Technology department and upgraded its software systems to ensure it is better prepared for the upcoming general election and proposed constitutional referendum.
“Well, the FEO family had learnt the hard way back in 2022 when we had that glitch issue, and so after that we had invested in our ICT department and our software and so forth.”
Mataiciwa made the comments when questioned about the FEO’s preparedness against potential cyberattacks, particularly following recent reports of hacking attempts targeting other organisations.
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She says strengthening the office’s technological capabilities forms part of its strategic plan, aimed at ensuring electoral systems remain secure and operational during the two major electoral events.
“And fortunate enough we see that that investment has paid off, because whilst there’s hacking happening elsewhere, our ICT team basically has our back in terms of protecting our data and so forth.”
The Supervisor of Elections is also urging Fijians to rely on the FEO’s official website and social media platforms for accurate electoral information amid concerns about misinformation and disinformation.
The FEO is currently preparing for the general election and proposed constitutional referendum, with voter awareness programmes underway across the country.