FBI: Ignore false claims of hacked voter data

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) are alerting the public to false claims that U.S. voter registration data has been compromised in cyberattacks.

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The two agencies note that malicious actors are spreading disinformation to manipulate public opinion and undermine trust in US democratic institutions.

According to the statement, the hackers are presenting publicly accessible data as evidence of the breaches. Voter registration data is publicly available and can be obtained from official sources, the FBI statement explains, so its retention or republishing is not evidence of a breach of the voting infrastructure.

As for the practical consequences of hackers possessing this information, the FBI and CISA emphasize that it has no impact on the voting process or election results.

To date, intelligence agencies have no evidence of any cyberattack on American election infrastructure that disrupted an election process or led to changes that would compromise the integrity of the process.

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In the announcement, the two bodies make the following recommendations:

• Do not accept allegations of violation without evidence. They may aim to influence public opinion or undermine trust in democracy.
• Be wary of social media posts, emails, calls, or messages that make suspicious claims about election security.
• For questions about election security, trust state and local election officials.
• Visit official state and local election websites (“.gov” domains) for accurate information.

This update comes a few months after CISA and the FBI decided to raise public awareness about false claims by malicious actors that distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks were being carried out targeting voter data, which would compromise the integrity of the process.

Although DDoS can temporarily disrupt the availability of some election-related services, such as ballot reporting and voter search tools, the voting process itself cannot be affected, and there has never been an incident to suggest otherwise.

As the U.S. general election, scheduled for November 5, citizens should be aware of efforts by geopolitically motivated foreign hackers to undermine public confidence in the process.

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Cyberattacks are a growing threat in our digital age, as malicious users leverage advanced techniques to gain access to sensitive information. They typically target governments, businesses, and individuals, causing serious financial and operational damage. Types of cyberattacks include malware attacks, phishing, and data breaches. Protecting against them requires the use of modern security systems, ongoing user education, and the enforcement of strict security policies. As technologies evolve, it is essential to stay one step ahead of attackers to ensure the security of our digital data.

Source: bleepingcomputer