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Today we released the first of three reports on ransomware threats to election infrastructure. Part one deals with threats to voter registration databases (thread) https://www.recordedfuture.com/us-elections-ransomware-threats/ via @RecordedFuture
This research started about a year ago, there was a lot of discussion in the press about ransomware threats to the election, but I wanted to understand what the threats actually are. Turns out that is hard to do because states don't like to talk about their voting infrastructure
So, I bought a local politician. Not intentionally, she is a politician I believe in, so I made a large'ish donation to her campaign. Turns out when you make a large'ish donation politicians call you and want to make sure you know they are there to help you...
Up to and including introducing you to the person responsible for the state's election security. "Great," I thought, "this going to be easy" [Morgan Freeman: It was not going to be easy].
I exchanged some emails with the person in charge of election security, but as soon as I started probing I was told I had to issue a FOIA request. I didn't know what I was doing, fortunately the great @JoeUchill saved the day and showed me the ins and outs.
I went on a FOIA filing spree, trying to find out all I could about election infrastructure and spent months pouring over RFIs/RFPs contracts, etc. Then I went on another spree to find out more about ransomware training states were offering.
I was rebuffed...a lot. But, I got some really good insight into what ransomware risks the states are facing, versus what they are training their staff on and the two don't line up. There seems to be a gap between the risks the states face and what they are training against.
But, what is really interesting, is that elections officials I spoke to way way way off the record all said the same thing: ransomware is not really top of mind right now.
They are more concerned about a breakdown in the perception of the validity of the election results. A successful ransomware attack could further undermine confidence in an election that just 45 percent of Americans are confident will be counted accurately https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/siloed-nbc-wsj-poll-shows-how-gop-dems-hold-widely-n1236958
