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Malicious actors are spreading false claims that US voter registration databases have been breached, according to a new alert issued by the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).
The agencies said the claims are designed to manipulate public opinion and undermine confidence in US democratic institutions in the run up to the US Presidential Elections in November.
The malicious actors are using obtained voter registration information as evidence to support their claims that a cyber operation compromised election infrastructure.
However, the government emphasized that much of this information can be purchased or otherwise legitimately acquired through publicly available sources, meaning that having access to voter registration data is not by itself an indicator of a voter registration database compromise.
The agencies also noted that 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.
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The FBI and CISA added that there is currently no intelligence suggesting that any cyber-attack on US election infrastructure has 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.
Public Urged Not to Take Claims at Face Value
The alert urged the US public to “critically evaluate” claims of hacked or leaked voter information, remembering that most voter registration information is available to the public.
The agencies issued to following advice to avoid being duped by such claims:
- Do not accept claims of intrusion at face value
- Be cautious of any claims about the election process or security made via social media posts, unsolicited emails unfamiliar email addresses and phone calls or texts from unknown numbers
- Direct any questions about election security to state and local government election officials
- Visit state and local elections office websites for accurate information about the elections process, ensuring these websites use a ‘.gov’ domain
FBI Cyber Division, Deputy Assistant Director Cynthia Kaiser, commented: “Through our investigations, the FBI has identified that malicious actors commonly attempt to undermine public confidence in US elections by grossly exaggerating about obtaining US voter information.
“Today’s announcement urges the American public to critically evaluate claims of hacked or leaked voter information and remember that most voter registration information is available to the public.”