April 19, 2024 at 10:05AM
Foreign adversaries have a history of disrupting US elections through tactics like espionage and “hack and leak” campaigns. Generative AI (GenAI) is now a concern for election security, as it can facilitate misinformation and disinformation. The 2024 election faces potential threats from nation-state adversaries and sophisticated cyber-threat actors, and combating these requires vigilant protection of election systems and raising awareness among citizens.
Key Takeaways from the Meeting Notes:
1. Foreign adversaries have a long history of attempting to disrupt US elections through methods such as espionage, “hack and leak” campaigns, and, more recently, generative AI (GenAI) tactics.
2. The use and proliferation of GenAI in 2024 present one of the toughest challenges in an election year.
3. Nation-state adversaries, particularly those affiliated with China, Russia, and Iran, pose a constant threat to democracy and may seek to interfere with the 2024 US election.
4. GenAI makes it easier for threat actors to create content and influence narratives, undermining public confidence and perceptions of political issues, parties, and candidates.
5. The rise of GenAI lowers the barrier of entry for less sophisticated hackers or hacktivists to interfere with elections.
6. Strategies for countering these growing threats include a risk-informed approach to protecting election systems, continuous monitoring of systems with deep visibility into critical areas of risk, employing threat hunting and intelligence, raising awareness among citizens, and cooperation between social media and GenAI companies to detect and prevent threat actors’ use of their tools.
7. Proper awareness, preparation, and cybersecurity best practices are crucial in defending democracy in the digital age.
Please let me know if there are any additional points or details you would like to emphasize from the meeting notes.