Truth & Lies About US Hacked Voter Data

Uploaded on 2024-10-08 in INTELLIGENCE--USA, GOVERNMENT-National, FREE TO VIEW

Malicious actors are trying to undermine US public confidence in the security of US election infrastructure. They are spreading lies, falsely claiming that cyber attacks compromised voter registration databases, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) have announced. The two agencies note that malicious actors are spreading disinformation to manipulate public "opinion and undermine confidence in US democratic institutions." However, the announcement itself is disturbing as it admits that voter’s data is freely available.

The FBI claims that there are no indications of any breach and that “most US voter information can be purchased or otherwise legitimately acquired through publicly available sources.” Malicious actors try to prove that election infrastructure was hacked using obtained voter registration information as evidence. “The reality is that having access to voter registration data is not by itself an indicator of a voter registration database compromise,” the announcement reads.

A report by the dat privacy firm Incognim,found that data brokers in the US even expose and sell information on 75% of US House members due to the lack of comprehensive federal law protecting against personal data collection and dissemination. So, while voters’ data may not be protected and acquired by anyone, the US election infrastructure is safe. “In recent election cycles, when cyber actors have obtained voter registration information, the acquisition of this data did not impact the voting process or election results,” the FBI explains.

The FBI and CISA have no information suggesting any compromise of election infrastructure

No cyberattack has ever prevented an election from occurring, changed voter registration information, prevented an eligible voter from casting a ballot, compromised the integrity of any ballots cast, or disrupted the ability to count votes or transmit unofficial election results in a timely manner. Therefore, claims about hacked or leaked voter information meed to critically evaluated. “Do not accept claims of intrusion at face value, and remember that these claims may be meant to influence public opinion and undermine the American people's confidence in our democratic process,” the FBI said.

Malicious actors often spread propaganda on social media, via unsolicited emails from unfamiliar email addresses, and even phone calls or text messages. Voters should rely on trusted sources for election information, such as state and local government election officials and local state and elections office websites. Most of these have web addresses with a ".gov" domain, indicating they’re official government sites.

Cyber News | Incogni | IC3 | Bleeping Comp

Image: Greg Thames

You Might Also Read:

2024 US Presidential Election: Nation State Cyber Threats:

If you like this website and use the comprehensive 7,000-plus service supplier Directory, you can get unrestricted access, including the exclusive in-depth Directors Report series, by signing up for a Premium Subscription.