WASHINGTON – Today, as part of their public service announcement (PSA) series to put potential election day cyber related disruptions during the 2024 election cycle into context for the American people, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) jointly released Just So You Know: Ransomware Disruptions During Voting Periods Will Not Impact the Security and Resilience of Vote Casting or Counting. FBI and CISA are issuing this PSA to inform the public that while ransomware attacks against state or local government networks or election infrastructure could cause localized delays, they will not compromise the security or accuracy of vote casting or counting processes.
To date, any successful ransomware attack on election infrastructure tracked by the FBI and CISA has remained localized and successfully managed with minimal disruption to election operations and no impact on the security or accuracy of ballot casting or tabulation processes or systems. In prior U.S. and foreign elections, malicious actors have sought to spread or amplify false or exaggerated claims about cyber incidents in an attempt to manipulate public opinion, discredit the electoral process, or undermine confidence in U.S. democratic institutions. We could see foreign actors attempt to mislead American voters about the actual impact of a ransomware event on elections in this election cycle as part of their larger foreign malign influence campaigns.
It is important for the public to know that election officials use a multi-layer approach to security that employs a variety of technological, physical, and procedural controls to prevent cyber intrusions, like ransomware, from impacting the security and resilience of vote casting and counting systems.
“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. “We will continue to work tirelessly with our election infrastructure partners to uphold the American people’s confidence in 2024 elections and our democratic process.”
“Combatting ransomware attacks is a top priority for the FBI, especially during elections,” said FBI Cyber Division Deputy Assistant Director Cynthia Kaiser. “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.”
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As the nation’s cyber defense agency and national coordinator for critical infrastructure security, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency leads the national effort to understand, manage, and reduce risk to the digital and physical infrastructure Americans rely on every hour of every day.
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