No evidence that election data has been compromised.
In a joint statement, the FBI and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) said hackers, possibly nation-state actors, have penetrated government networks and accessed election systems. In some cases, there was unauthorized access to election support systems.
CISA, which is part of the Homeland Security Department, explained that there is no evidence so far that the integrity of elections data has been compromised and that “it does not appear these targets are being selected because of their proximity to elections information.”
They did intimate, however, that election system data could be compromised. “There are steps that election officials, their supporting… IT staff, and vendors can take to help defend against this malicious cyber activity.”
The hackers targeted a Virtual Private Network (VPN) vulnerability and a flaw in a Windows protocol to authenticate users known as Netlogon. Patches for the vulnerabilities are available from the CISA and the FBI.
Their report did not indicate who the bad actors were, referring to them only as “advanced persistent threat actors,” a term most often reserved for state-sponsored hacking groups.
Two days ago, Microsoft reported it had disrupted the operations of Trickbot, a massive Russia-linked malware network that could have posed a threat to the election infrastructure.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For CISA as they work to safeguard all government operations, but particularly for the upcoming election.
- The FBI officials as they investigate criminal activity during this election cycle.
- That the hacking incidents will not have any effect on the outcome of the election.
- For Homeland Security as they seek to protect the nation on multiple levels.
Sources: Fox News, Forbes
