No signs of significant hacking issues on Election Day, cyber security officials say
U.S. cybersecurity officials say there has not been any evidence of significant interference from hacking groups as polls across the nation open for the midterm elections. On the morning of Election Day, a senior Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency official told reporters they "continue to see no specific or credible threat to disrupt election infrastructure," CNN reports.
The CISA official said the agency expects possible low-level cyberattacks that could temporarily make state and local websites inaccessible but does not foresee any issues that would prevent citizens from casting their ballots.
"We continue to remain in high confidence in the security or resilience of the elections," the official stated.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency are sharing live updates with other government agencies to ensure the midterms are safe from potential foreign threats, per a Tuesday statement from the general who oversees both operations.
"We continue to refine what we learned from the 2018 and 2020 elections," Gen. Paul Nakasone said. "We generate insight to enable defense of the homeland, and ultimately impose costs by degrading and exposing foreign adversary capabilities and operations."
Nakasone also reiterated that intelligence officials are also focusing on foreign influence campaigns that persist after the votes tallies come in following Election Day.
"Our work does not end on Nov. 8," Nakasone said.
A representative of the Defense Department said that twelve states activated National Guard troops for cyber support in local and state-level elections.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Theara Coleman has worked as a staff writer at The Week since September 2022. She frequently writes about technology, education, literature and general news. She was previously a contributing writer and assistant editor at Honeysuckle Magazine, where she covered racial politics and cannabis industry news.
-
Putin says Russia isn't weakened by Syria setback
Speed Read Russia had been one of the key backers of Syria's ousted Assad regime
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Georgia DA Fani Willis removed from Trump case
Speed Read Willis had been prosecuting the election interference case against the president-elect
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Democrats blame 'President Musk' for looming shutdown
Speed Read The House of Representatives rejected a spending package that would've funding the government into 2025
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump, Musk sink spending bill, teeing up shutdown
Speed Read House Republicans abandoned the bill at the behest of the two men
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Congress reaches spending deal to avert shutdown
Speed Read The bill would fund the government through March 14, 2025
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Luigi Mangione charged with murder, terrorism
Speed Read Magnione is accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Ex-FBI informant pleads guilty to lying about Bidens
Speed Read Alexander Smirnov claimed that President Joe Biden and his son Hunter were involved in a bribery scheme with Ukrainian energy company Burisma
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
South Korea impeaches president, eyes charges
Speed Read Yoon Suk Yeol faces investigations on potential insurrection and abuse of power charges
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published