Security News > 2020 > September > FBI warns of cybercriminals spreading false info about 2020 election results
Bad actors could create or change websites and social media content to discredit this year's electoral process, cautions the FBI and CISA. The 2020 presidential election promises to be a rough and divisive one.
A new message from the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency warns voters of the likelihood that foreign actors and cybercriminals will try to propagate fake news about the election results to discredit the process and weaken confidence in the US political system.
While the election results remain in limbo, bad actors could take that time to deploy disinformation about reports of voter suppression, cyberattacks aimed at the election infrastructure, voter or ballot fraud, and other issues designed to convince voters of the illegitimacy of the entire election and the results.
For information about final election results, rely on state and local government election officials.
Report potential election crimes-such as disinformation about the manner, time, or place of voting-to the FBI.If appropriate, make use of in-platform tools offered by social media companies for reporting suspicious posts that appear to be spreading false or inconsistent information about election-related problems or results.