INE Reinforces Cybersecurity of Quick Counts

With the presidential elections around the corner, INE has intensified its efforts to guarantee the integrity of the electoral process. Focused on reinforcing the efficiency and security of the Preliminary Electoral Results Program (PREP), INE has implemented robust cybersecurity measures and operational redundancies.

The fundamental purpose of the PREP is to promptly inform INE's General Council, political parties, the media, and the general public about the preliminary election results through the capture and publication of the data contained in the tally and counting reports received at the Data Collection and Transmission Centers (CATD). By using advanced technology to disseminate information in real time through the Internet, the PREP aims to provide greater transparency throughout the electoral process.

To guarantee the program’s functionality, INE emphasized the vital importance of employing cybersecurity tests and of embracing logistical optimization to guarantee the integrity of the electoral process. Discussions held during the presentation of the program revolved around implementing robust mechanisms to prevent Internet connectivity failures and improve image quality, as well as developing strategies to address areas of improvement identified during previous tests.

The need for operational and technological redundancies was also highlighted to avoid technical failures on the day of the elections. As part of this effort, INE announced the hiring of Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM) as an external auditor to carry out functional and cybersecurity tests, in addition to those carried out by INE, to identify known vulnerabilities and anticipate possible attacks. In addition, the PREP system has been strengthened with multiple redundancies, including alternative connections and protocols to guarantee the continuity of data transmission even in cases of Internet connectivity failures.

Following this, the PREP technical committee highlighted the importance of continuous staff training to improve the quality of the images captured. Sofia Ramirez, member of the technical advisory committee in the electoral process, highlighted the importance of staff training and the quality of the captured images, after detecting that 12% of the images collected are not suitable to be used for the publication of data. 

According to INE, the institution is committed to ensuring the efficiency and transparency of the electoral process by strengthening the PREP and implementing robust cybersecurity measures. These actions seek to guarantee the integrity of the electoral process and confidence in the preliminary results of the June 2 elections.

Additionally, the committee has monitored the automatic capture system through the integration of artificial intelligence (AI). However, according to the committee, while it is considered a promising tool, it still has areas that need to be improved both in terms of the system and its algorithm. As a result, INE has opted not to integrate it into the program for the 2024 elections, although it noted that a pilot test will be conducted at a later date to move toward the implementation of the automatic recognition system.

Finally, in addition to the collaborations between institutions around the program, an agreement was announced with CFE to supervise the 332 local district boards throughout the country, thus achieving more than 80% progress in terms of the inspection of these works, which included the installation of more than 100 emergency plants for the districts that need them. Although the project was budgeted at more than MXN$20 million (around US$1.19 billion), the final cost is expected to be less than this amount.