ANNAPOLIS, Md. — In recognition of Cybersecurity Awareness Month this October, the Maryland State Board of Elections (SBE) encourages Marylanders to be vigilant against disinformation claiming that cyberattacks have compromised a voter’s registration.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) have warned that malicious actors are attempting to undermine public confidence in U.S. election infrastructure by falsely claiming that cyberattacks compromised U.S. voter registration databases.
Most U.S. voter information can be legally purchased or otherwise legitimately acquired through publicly available sources, therefore access to voter registration data does not by itself indicate a voter registration database compromise.
“We remind Marylanders that while voter registration information can often be legally obtained, it does not indicate any security breach,” said State Administrator Jared DeMarinis. “Malicious actors are trying to sow distrust by falsely claiming that cyberattacks have compromised election systems. Let me be clear: our voter registration systems remain secure. We urge voters to stay informed by relying on trusted sources like SBE or your local elections board for accurate information.”
The FBI and CISA have stated that they have no information suggesting a cyberattack on U.S. election infrastructure has prevented an election from occurring, changed voter registration information, prevented an eligible voter from casting a ballot, compromised the integrity of ballots cast, or disrupted the ability to count votes or transmit unofficial election results in a timely manner.
SBE encourages Marylanders to follow the FBI and CISA’s cyber awareness tips, including:
· Do not accept claims of intrusion at face value, as they may be meant to influence public opinion and undermine public confidence in election administration.
· Be cautious of social media posts, emails from unfamiliar email addresses, or phone calls or text messages from unknown sources that make suspicious claims about the elections process or security.
· Rely on state and local government election officials as your trusted sources for election information. Visit SBE’s www.elections.maryland.gov, follow SBE on social media, or contact your local elections office for accurate election information. Report any suspicious information to SBE’s disinformation portal.
