U.S. Cybersecurity Agency Reports No Evidence of Malicious Interference in Election Systems
The U.S. Cybersecurity Agency and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) announced on Tuesday that it has observed no credible or malicious threats impacting the integrity of the country’s voting infrastructure during the election. Speaking on CISA’s final Election Day briefing, agency head Jen Easterly reassured the public that the national voting systems remain secure. “At this time, we’ve seen no evidence of malicious activity impacting the security or integrity of election infrastructure,” she said, adding that while minor disruptive events occurred throughout the day, they had been anticipated and managed accordingly.
Election security has been a primary concern in this presidential race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. Trump has made repeated claims of electoral fraud since the 2020 election and reiterated similar allegations on Election Day, particularly in the swing states of Michigan and Pennsylvania. However, Cait Conley, CISA’s senior advisor on elections, and Easterly both stated that there is no evidence to support these claims of widespread fraud.
Bomb Threat Hoaxes Cause Temporary Disruptions
The most significant disruptions came from a series of false bomb threats targeting polling locations in several swing states, including Georgia, where nearly 40 incidents were reported. According to federal and local authorities, these threats were traced to email domains ending in “.ru,” indicating possible Russian origins. The FBI issued a statement confirming their awareness of the threats, which they said lacked credibility.
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes attributed the threats to Russia. However, Easterly urged caution, pointing out that while the threats appeared to come from Russian domains, this did not definitively establish a Russian origin. “I think that is still being investigated,” she noted, underscoring the need for further evidence before making formal attributions about the source of the hoaxes.
FBI and CISA Defend Election U.S. Cybersecurity Agency Amid Misinformation Campaigns
In addition to the bomb threats, the FBI faced its own challenges with disinformation. Throughout Election Day, the agency had to issue statements debunking misinformation that misused the FBI’s name and insignia to spread false narratives about the election process. These efforts are part of a broader battle against foreign influence campaigns designed to undermine American confidence in the electoral process.
Easterly highlighted the resilience of the voting infrastructure, emphasizing that CISA will continue to monitor and protect the system. “There is still work to be done to come to a certified result,” she stated, cautioning that foreign adversaries may still attempt to interfere with public perception of the election outcome. She reiterated that while no credible security threats have surfaced, CISA remains vigilant against influence operations aimed at eroding trust in the election’s legitimacy.
With these incidents under control, officials are focusing on ensuring a secure completion of the election certification process and safeguarding the public’s trust in the integrity of U.S. elections.
