The U.S. Intelligence Community (USIC) believes that the Russian Government was behind the recent hacking of emails from U.S. individuals and organizations, including political groups. The leaked emails, published on websites like DCLeaks.com and WikiLeaks and by the Guccifer 2.0 persona, match the tactics and goals typically used in Russian-led operations. These cyberattacks are aimed at interfering with the U.S. election process. This type of activity is not new for Russia, as similar tactics have been used in Europe and Eurasia to influence public opinion. Given the scale and importance of these efforts, it is believed that only Russia's top officials could have authorized them.
Several states have recently experienced scanning and probing of their election-related systems, with most of these activities traced back to servers operated by a Russian company. However, we cannot currently link this activity directly to the Russian Government. The U.S. Intelligence Community (USIC) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) believe that it would be extremely difficult for any actor, including a nation-state, to change actual ballot counts or election results through a cyber attack. This conclusion is based on the decentralized structure of our election system and the extensive protections in place at the state and local levels. States ensure that voting machines are not connected to the Internet, and there are numerous safeguards, checks, and oversight mechanisms built into the process.
DHS continues to advise state and local election officials to stay alert and request cybersecurity support from the agency. Several states have already reached out for assistance. DHS is offering a range of services to help improve election cybersecurity, including cyber hygiene scans for systems connected to the Internet, risk and vulnerability assessments, sharing information about cyber incidents, and providing best practices for securing voter registration databases and managing potential cyber threats.
To further support these efforts, DHS has formed an Election Infrastructure Cybersecurity Working Group, bringing together experts from all levels of government to raise awareness of cybersecurity risks that could affect election infrastructure and processes. Secretary Johnson and other DHS officials are working closely with the National Association of Secretaries of State to offer help, share information, and provide additional resources to state and local officials.
