FBI warns foreign actors spread disinformation regarding 2020 election results
In a joint public service announcement released last day, FBI or Federal Bureau of Investigation and US Cybersecurity and Infreastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued about a threat of disinformation campaigns that target the US 2020 election season.
According to the two agencies, malicious actors are spreading false information about successfully compromised voting systems and voter registration databases “to manipulate public opinion, sow discord, discredit the electoral process,” and to weaken the public’s trust.
The Public Service Announcement reads, “While cyber actors have in recent years obtained voter registration information, the acquisition of this data did not impact the voting process or election results. “In addition, the FBI and CISA have no information suggesting any cyberattack on U.S. election infrastructure has prevented an election from occurring, prevented a registered voter from casting a ballot, compromised the accuracy of voter registration information, or compromised the integrity of any ballots cast.”
Us voter registration info could be accessed from publicly available sources from most states’ publicly available Board of Elections Voter Search pages. Here are the recommendations provided for American public to make it easier to spot the disinformation regarding the cyberattack on US election infrastructure and voter info:
- Seek out information from trustworthy sources, verify who produced the content and consider their intent,
- Rely on state and local government election official for any information about final election results,
- Use reliable sources for any reports about problems in voting or election results,
- Report potential election crimes such as disinformation about manner, time or place of voting to FBI,
- If appropriate, make use of in-platform tools offered by social media companies for reporting suspicious posts that appear to be spreading false or inconsistent information about election-related problems or results.
