Ransomware could be one of the biggest threats to the upcoming elections US, as outdated software and potentially vulnerable voting machines could be targeted by criminals carrying out cyberattacks from abroad .
According to NTT Ltd.'s September global threat report, ransomware could be deployed and waiting to be activated on election day or once voting machines are activated. It could even cause the voting process to be disrupted.
“The threat of ransomware or other types of cyberattacks to U.S. elections does not come exclusively from foreign governments,” the report said. “Cyberattacks against U.S. can be launched by any criminal seeking financial gain.”
NTT claimed that the US elections in November will involve “a high-level effort” in terms of maintaining security. Threats to voting processes could include: foreign interference, disinformation campaigns, potential changes to US postal service operating procedures, ransomware attacks, old technology (including hardware and outdated software), voter apathy – and especially this year – the fear of COVID-19 transmission at polling stations.
“A cyber or physical attack on electoral infrastructure, regardless of whether electoral systems or processes are connected or not, could potentially lead to general electoral system malfunction, errors in vote counting, delays in vote results, and incorrect election reporting,” the report said.
NTT argued that the most important elements of security are those that attackers are likely to target first, and the first line of defense “must be a secure and resilient U.S. election infrastructure.”
According to NTT, threats are increased for two main areas:
Threats to election activities: Attacks on voter registration information could include compromising or deleting data so that a potential voter is not registered and therefore cannot vote. Also, installing malware on a voter registration system could compromise the integrity of this data. Finally, data could be encrypted for ransom (ransomware) or stolen for sale on the dark web.
Threats to Election Day Activities: Direct Record Electronic (DRE) voting could be affected by a cyberattack (ransomware, etc.). In addition, election results are submitted electronically or via email on election night. An attacker could interfere with this process and influence the results.
Jake Moore, cybersecurity expert at ESET , believes that interventions will be made and that the threats are many.
“Ransomware is a significant threat to all organizations, but the election will pique the interest of criminals from around the world,” he said.
“Ransomware is a real threat, but arguably no more likely than a DDoS attack or a data. Criminals will do what they do best: look for vulnerabilities and security to exploit, in the hopes of making a financial profit from the US election.“.
The researcher, like NTT Ltd, said that immediate updates and patching of vulnerabilities to reduce the chances of a successful attack. Also, education and awareness (about cybersecurity) of all those involved in the US elections and electoral processes is essential.
