On Election Day, no significant cyber attacks occurred; however, the battle against cyber threats continues post-election.
The U.S. presidential election of 2020, predicted by CISA Director Christopher Krebs to be the 'most secure in modern history,' came to a head on Tuesday. Despite the looming threat of foreign interference and cyber attacks, the election day passed without any major cyber intrusions being reported.
In the weeks leading up to the election, CISA and the FBI issued a public alert about an Iranian advanced persistent threat actor targeting U.S. state websites and sending voter intimidation emails. However, on election day, Director Krebs stated that they had addressed any threats from foreign actors quickly, comprehensively, and publicly.
The surprising calm of the election day comes after weeks of uncertainty and mitigation efforts. Preparation for the 2020 election fell behind, according to CISA, as the Government Accountability Office warned the agency to shape up in February, as CISA failed to release its complete strategic election security plans before the primary elections began.
Despite these challenges, CISA aimed to make the 2020 election the most secure yet. Over the last two weeks, U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency undertook an operation targeting Iranian hackers working for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to undermine the election.
Technological voting glitches occurred, but were addressed through the use of analog methods. No tech errors have been attributed to cyberattacks or malicious actors. CISA officials described the day as 'boring' on the cyber front, indicating a lack of major election polls.
However, CISA is now looking ahead to post-election day threats, with potential opportunities for cyber intrusions still occurring. The GAO stated that CISA's unfinished planning means the agency may be limited in its ability to execute a nationwide strategy for securing election infrastructure. Disruptions due to demand on election tech, defacement of election reporting sites, denial of service attacks, and disinformation are expected in the coming weeks.
Despite these potential threats, the successful conduct of the 2020 U.S. elections without any major cyber incidents is a testament to the efforts of CISA and other cybersecurity agencies in protecting the integrity of the democratic process.
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