DDoS attacks may target election infrastructure, FBI warns

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks on election infrastructure and adjacent systems that support election operations are likely and could hinder public access to information, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) warn.

However, the advisory adds that this would not impact the security or integrity of the election process.

DDoS attacks are considered low-level attacks, nuisances that rarely cause long-lasting damage. They occur when hackers flood a public-facing, internet-accessible server with requests, rendering the service slow or inaccessible.

As the US approaches the 2024 general election, DDoS could disrupt the availability of voter look-up tools, unofficial election night reporting, or some election-related functions. The voting process itself would not be impacted.

In recent years, malicious actors seeking to undermine confidence in the US elections have utilized DDoS attacks to advance social, political, or ideological causes. State-sponsored threat actors or other cybercriminals may falsely claim that DDoS attacks indicate a compromise related to the election process.

DDoS attacks may temporarily prevent legitimate users from accessing online resources or business activities. For voters, hackers may disrupt access to websites containing information about where and how to vote, online election services like voter registration, or unofficial election results.

“The underlying data and internal systems would remain uncompromised, and anyone eligible to vote would still be able to cast a ballot,” the FBI said.

Authorities ensure that such attacks cannot prevent voters from casting ballots or changing votes already cast. To limit the impact of potential DDoS attacks, officials have introduced multiple safeguards, backup processes, and incident response plans.

“The FBI and CISA have no reporting to suggest a DDoS attack has ever prevented an eligible voter from casting a ballot, compromised the integrity of any ballots cast, or disrupted the ability to tabulate votes or transmit election results in a timely manner.”

Officials recommend seeking official sources of information about registering to vote, polling locations, voting by mail, and final election results. This information can be obtained from state and local election officials. Also, voters should report suspicious activity to the FBI or CISA and any unavailable election-related services to their local election officials.