November 5, 2024 at 11:23AM
The U.S. Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency warns of last-minute influence operations by Iranian and Russian actors aimed at undermining trust in the upcoming presidential election. These include spreading false information and fabricated media targeting swing states, as well as impersonating the FBI in misleading videos.
**Meeting Takeaways:**
1. **Threat Overview**:
– The U.S. Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has issued a warning about influence operations from Iranian and Russian actors aimed at undermining public trust in the upcoming presidential election.
2. **Russian Influence Operations**:
– Focused on swing states to damage the credibility of U.S. elections.
– Operations include creating false articles and videos claiming state officials are engaging in election fraud, including ballot stuffing and cyberattacks.
– A fabricated interview in Arizona suggests illicit activities concerning absentee ballots and voter rolls favoring Vice President Kamala Harris.
– Anticipation of additional manufactured content from Russian actors leading up to and following election day.
3. **Iranian Threat Activities**:
– Iran is using fabricated media to suppress voter turnout or incite violence.
– Iran’s motivations include retribution against U.S. officials related to past incidents, particularly involving Qassem Soleimani’s death.
4. **FBI Warnings**:
– Two instances of impersonation by threat actors utilizing the FBI’s name and insignia to promote misinformation regarding elections.
– First instance involved a fabricated warning suggesting a high terror threat at polling stations and recommending remote voting.
– Second instance involved false claims about inmate voting being rigged in multiple states.
– The FBI has also alerted about various fraud schemes related to the election and urged the public to disregard false narratives about hacked voter data.
5. **Security Measures**:
– CISA and the FBI do not foresee any major impacts on the election process from cyberattacks, even in worst-case scenarios.
– CISA expressed commitment to support state and local officials in managing operational challenges that may arise during the election.
6. **Conclusion**:
– Ongoing vigilance against misinformation and influence operations is necessary as the election approaches.