CISA, FBI assert election infrastructure’s fortitude despite ransomware threat

A new public service announcement reminds the general public that even if ransomware attacks disrupt the digital aspects of election infrastructure, it will only cause delays, and not pose threats to counting votes. 

Released on Thursday by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the PSA comes ahead of the November 2024 presidential elections. It acknowledges the growing cyber threat landscape due to the increased digitization of U.S. voting records and sophistication of cyberattacks, but emphasizes the overall security in election technology. 

“Ransomware affecting state or local government systems could render certain election related functions temporarily inaccessible and cause election officials to revert to back-up processes and systems,” the advisory reads. “While this could impact the speed of certain processes, it would not impact the security or accuracy of the processes around the casting and counting of votes.”

Federal officials have discussed election security ahead of November as an area of concern, but have also reiterated the intelligence community’s preparedness to handle cyberattacks. 

In the PSA, CISA and FBI officials note a multi-layer approach to securing the digital and physical assets that create the U.S. voting infrastructure prevents catastrophic attacks that undermine legitimacy of U.S. election outcomes.

“Combatting ransomware attacks is a top priority for the FBI, especially during elections,” said FBI Cyber Division Deputy Assistant Director Cynthia Kaiser in a press release. “While the FBI will continue to leverage its tools and partnerships to combat cyber criminals, the public should be aware that ransomware is extremely unlikely to affect the integrity of voting systems or the electoral process.”

The advisory also noted that domestic and foreign malicious actors are utilizing U.S. marketing platforms to spread misinformation about cyber attack outcomes, along with other issues. 

“While ransomware continues to be a significant cybersecurity concern, it is important to note that security measures put in place by election officials and election vendors ensure these incidents will not impact the security of the vote casting or tabulation systems and processes,” said CISA Senior Advisor Cait Conley.