A cybersecurity internship program led by the University of Virginia and developed in collaboration with other Virginia universities, the Virginia Department of Elections and the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative has earned national recognition for its innovative approach to election security.
The Virginia Cyber Navigator Internship Program (VA-CNIP), based at UVA’s School of Engineering and Applied Science and led by computer science professor Jack Davidson, has received the 2025 Innovation Award by the Election Verification Network (EVN) — a national coalition of election officials, cybersecurity experts, and voting rights advocates.
The Innovation Award honors breakthrough product development that significantly improves election verification and auditing. The Cyber Navigator Internship Program is a university internship program that cultivates future cybersecurity talent while directly strengthening local election integrity across the Commonwealth.
George Mason University, Norfolk State University, Old Dominion University, Virginia Commonwealth University and the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University joined UVA in this statewide effort.
Cybersecurity with Civic Impact
At its core, the VA-CNIP program places undergraduate cybersecurity students in local election offices across Virginia, where they work alongside registrars to help localities meet the Locality Election Security Standards (LESS) established by the Virginia State Board of Elections. These standards cover all aspects of election security, including risk assessment, incident response, data protection and secure communications.
“This is not an academic exercise,” Davidson said. “Our students are working on real election systems with election professionals in a field where the stakes are incredibly high.”
The program provides hands-on training in network security, system monitoring, voting machine security, and identifying and addressing vulnerabilities in election infrastructure. Interns learn risk assessment, incident response and digital forensics while gaining practical experience in safeguarding voter data and voting machines. VA-CNIP blends technical expertise with a deep understanding of electoral processes, giving students unmatched real-world experience.
As elections continue to be treated as critical infrastructure, programs like VA-CNIP offer an elegant solution to a complex challenge — pairing rigorous technical training with civic engagement.
A Digital Immune System for Election Offices
To understand VA-CNIP’s impact, think of the interns as a kind of digital immune system. They don’t just respond to threats — they help election offices build resilience from within, fortifying networks and tightening protocols.
The initiative also addresses a long-standing pipeline problem in election security. As seasoned election officials retire or move on, the program is grooming the next wave of technologists who not only understand cybersecurity principles but grasp the critical nuances of elections.
“It’s been transformative,” said David Levine, a Senior Fellow at the University of Maryland’s Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement, who nominated the program for the award. “The VA-CNIP model is scalable, practical and deeply human. It builds trust from the ground up.”
Levine brings a practitioner’s insight to his endorsement as former deputy elections director for the city of Richmond (from 2012 to 2014).
Recognized by a Nationally Esteemed Panel
The EVN award is especially meaningful given the stature of its selection committee, which includes an A.M. Turing Award winner, the director of elections and security at the Brennan Center for Justice and former state election chairs. In its citation, the committee praised VA-CNIP for its "path-breaking approach to practical election support, documentation and transparency."