The National Association of Counties has recognized the Thurston County Auditor’s Office for its work improving cybersecurity, according to a Wednesday press release from the department.

The Thurston County Auditor’s Office was awarded the “Achievement Award,” which honors initiatives and effective government programs that strengthen services for residents.

This was in recognition of the work Thurston County Auditor Mary Hall spearheaded to create the countywide Cybersecurity Forum in 2017. The work done in the forum has resulted in increased training, the doubling of cybersecurity staffing, the segregation of the elections computers network from the rest of the county and the implementation of multifactor authentication in the Auditor’s Office.

“Fair and free elections are a hallmark of American democracy,” Hall said in a prepared statement. “Voters’ confidence relies on their confidence in the security and resilience of elections infrastructure. We are only as secure as our weakest link, so we need to ensure all county employees are cyber aware.”

According to the press release, awards from the National Associations of Counties — a growing network of more than 40,000 counties in the nation — are given in 18 different categories that reflect the vast services governing bodies provide.