Security News > 2020 > August > Ransomware Feared as Possible Saboteur for November Election
Federal authorities say one of the gravest threats to the November election is a well-timed ransomware attack that could paralyze voting operations.
"We're seeing state and local entities targeted with ransomware on a near daily basis," said Geoff Hale, a top election security official with Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
Steps taken to improve security of voter registration systems after the 2016 election could help governments fend off election-related ransomware attacks.
Ransomware is an added concern for local election officials already confronting staffing and budget constraints while preparing for a shift from in-person voting to absentee balloting because of the pandemic.
That's how Louisiana's election network survived multiple ransomware attacks: one occurred six days before the November election through an IT services company shared by the seven impacted counties.