FBI, DHS: Foreign Hackers Likely To Spread Misinformation Around Election Results

By The Hill
Posted on 09/23/20 | News Source: MATZAV

The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) warned Tuesday that foreign malicious hackers will likely attempt to spread disinformation around election results later this year.

The agencies put out a public service announcement warning that delays in final tallies caused by a larger number of mail-in ballots and other factors could fuel the disinformation efforts online.

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“State and local officials typically require several days to weeks to certify elections’ final results in order to ensure every legally cast vote is accurately counted,” the agencies wrote. “The increased use of mail-in ballots due to COVID-19 protocols could leave officials with incomplete results on election night.”

The agencies warned that “foreign actors and cybercriminals could exploit the time required to certify and announce elections’ results by disseminating disinformation that includes reports of voter suppression, cyberattacks targeting election infrastructure, voter or ballot fraud, and other problems intended to convince the public of the elections’ illegitimacy.”

Read more at The Hill.