Georgia’s voter infrastructure has been hit by ransomware, two weeks before the U.S 2020 elections. The county’s voter signature database and the voting precinct map were among those affected by the malware. Findings show that the attack appears not to specifically be directed to the election system, as the county’s email and phone services have also been disrupted. The chief security advisor of SentinelOne believes that this incident is not connected with the recent email threat allegedly sent from overseas servers.
Read: Voters Receive Email Threats to “Vote for Trump or Else”
CNN: Ransomware attackers are typically financial criminals driven by profit, experts say, not political actors with a political motive
According to CNN, a Georgia county is ground zero for what may be the first ransomware attack to hit election infrastructure this political season.
The spokesperson for the cybersecurity firm Check Point, called the Georgia incident “alarming and significant”, and warns voters to be extra vigilant when it comes to their inbox.
Fraudulent emails can often contain malicious links or attachments that allow hackers to penetrate unpatched or vulnerable systems. So-called phishing attacks are the most likely way for ransomware incidents to begin, experts say.
