Minneapolis—

As the 2024 U.S. general election nears, the FBI and CISA have issued a public service announcement to alert the public about foreign disinformation campaigns.[1] These campaigns, led by foreign adversaries, aim to undermine voter confidence by spreading false narratives before, during, and after Election Day. Despite these efforts, the FBI and CISA confirm that there is no evidence of malicious cyber activity compromising U.S. election infrastructure, including voter registration systems, ballots, or vote-counting processes.

Evolving Disinformation Tactics with AI:

The disinformation campaigns have become more sophisticated due to the use of generative AI tools, which allow foreign actors to create convincing fake content, such as AI-generated articles, deepfake videos, and synthetic media.[2] These false narratives are then spread across multiple platforms, both in the U.S. and abroad. By lowering the barrier for creating and distributing disinformation, AI has made it easier for foreign actors to mislead the public and erode trust in the election process.

Disinformation Campaigns from Russia and Iran:

Russia and Iran are identified as the primary foreign actors behind many of these disinformation efforts. Russian operatives have set up AI-enhanced social media bot farms and cybersquatted on domains mimicking legitimate news websites, such as “washingtonpost.pm” and “foxnews.in,” to disseminate propaganda. The DOJ responded by seizing over 30 of these domains and indicting individuals linked to Russian government-controlled media outlets that covertly funded U.S. influence campaigns.

Iran, too, has engaged in similar efforts, with recent DOJ charges against Iranian nationals accused of hacking and leaking U.S. campaign materials to manipulate the election outcome.

Public Recommendations:

To help combat the spread of disinformation, FBI and CISA urge the public to:

• Educate themselves about foreign influence operations, especially AI-generated content.
• Rely on trusted sources, such as state and local election officials, to verify election-related claims.
• Understand AI-generated content by looking for clues that content may be doctored or synthetic.
• Report suspicious activity or disinformation attempts to the FBI.

Election Security Efforts:

Federal, state, and local authorities are collaborating to safeguard U.S. elections. The FBI investigates election crimes and foreign influence campaigns, while CISA works to secure election infrastructure. Jen Easterly, director of CISA, has reassured voters that the systems are more secure than ever, with robust cybersecurity measures in place, including paper ballot records that verify vote counts in 97% of jurisdictions.

Easterly emphasized that, although foreign adversaries will continue to attempt to influence U.S. elections, they will not be able to alter the final outcome. She also encouraged patience as election results may take time to finalize and urged the public to trust official sources. Being an election judge is not a bad idea either.

Conclusion:

As Election Day approaches, foreign disinformation campaigns remain a threat, but significant efforts have been made to secure the election process. With the support of informed voters and coordinated efforts from election officials, the integrity of U.S. elections can be maintained. We in the private sector need to share and support these efforts, as CISA, and the FBI cannot be everywhere.

About the Author:

Jeremy A. Swenson is a disruptive-thinking security entrepreneur, futurist/researcher, and seasoned senior management tech risk and digital strategy consultant. He is a frequent speaker, published writer, podcaster, and even does some pro bono consulting in these areas. He holds a certificate in Media Technology from Oxford University’s Media Policy Summer Institute, an MSST (Master of Science in Security Technologies) degree from the University of Minnesota’s Technological Leadership Institute, an MBA from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, and a BA in political science from the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire. He is an alum of the Federal Reserve Secure Payment Task Force, the Crystal, Robbinsdale, and New Hope Community Police Academy (MN), and the Minneapolis FBI Citizens Academy. You can follow him on LinkedIn and Twitter.

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[1] CISA. “FBI and CISA Issue Public Service Announcement Warning of Tactics Foreign Threat Actors are Using to Spread Disinformation in the 2024 U.S. General Election.” 10/18/24. https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/news/fbi-and-cisa-issue-public-service-announcement-warning-tactics-foreign-threat-actors-are-using

[2] CISA. “FBI and CISA Issue Public Service Announcement Warning of Tactics Foreign Threat Actors are Using to Spread Disinformation in the 2024 U.S. General Election.” 10/18/24. https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/news/fbi-and-cisa-issue-public-service-announcement-warning-tactics-foreign-threat-actors-are-using