site.btaNational Security Agency Issues Cybersecurity Instructions to Strategic Facilities Ahead of Presidential Election
The State Agency for National Security (SANS) has drawn up instructions for additional cybersecurity measures to be implemented at all strategic facilities in Bulgaria in connection with the October 25 presidential election, SANS Chairman Plamen Tonchev said on Thursday. He was speaking at a national meeting of the Interior Ministry leadership on the preparations for the election.
Tonchev said SANS has set up an operational task force to safeguard the election process and has drawn up a plan to prevent offences against citizens' political rights and other unlawful acts.
Internal instructions have also been issued requiring meetings with representatives of political parties to take place on official premises, in order to avoid allegations against SANS employees and prevent the Agency from being involved in political activity.
Tonchev said specific operational and investigative measures have been undertaken to obtain information about the preparation and commission of offences against citizens' political rights, to prevent terrorist and other criminal activity, and to counter provocations and extremist acts during large-scale events held in the course of the election campaign.
Measures have also been taken to obtain timely information about attempts at influence or interference by foreign intelligence services and other foreign actors.
Within its remit, SANS has put in place arrangements to provide communications support for the transmission of election results between section election commissions abroad and the Central Election Commission (CEC), Tonchev said. Teams have been assigned to work around the clock until the results from all section commissions abroad have been fully processed, he added.
Tonchev said that SANS experts stand ready to take part in checks and analyses at the request of the prosecution service, the Interior Ministry or the CEC.
/NF/
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