The FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) have issued a joint public service announcement addressing false claims that U.S. voter registration data has been compromised in cyberattacks. The two agencies warn that malicious actors are deliberately spreading disinformation with the intent to manipulate public opinion and undermine trust in U.S. democratic institutions. These actors present publicly accessible voter registration data as evidence of a hacking attempt, despite the fact that this information is freely available through official sources and does not indicate any compromise of election infrastructure.
Both agencies stress that while voter registration data can be obtained from public sources, its possession or republishing does not constitute proof of a cyberattack or interference with the voting process. The FBI and CISA have emphasized that there is no evidence linking these claims to any actual cyberattack that could affect the outcome of elections or voter participation. Importantly, there has been no disruption to election procedures, nor have there been any changes made to voter registration details that would impact the election results.
The agencies further clarified that malicious claims attempting to link the information to compromised election infrastructure are misleading and designed to sow discord. These disinformation efforts are part of a broader strategy by foreign actors to destabilize trust in U.S. elections. The FBI and CISA have urged the public to be cautious of suspicious social media posts, emails, calls, or texts that make unwarranted claims about election security. They recommend relying on official election sources, such as state and local government websites with “.gov” domains, for accurate information.
This announcement follows previous warnings by the FBI and CISA regarding other tactics used by bad actors, such as Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks. While these attacks can temporarily disrupt election-related services, the agencies reiterated that the core voting process cannot be affected by such actions. With the general elections approaching, the agencies stressed the need for vigilance against efforts by foreign entities to weaken public confidence in the electoral system.
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