On Monday of this week, the Department of Homeland Security issued an intelligence note to law enforcement nationwide warning that ideologically-motivated violent extremists and other violent actors could quickly mobilize to threaten or engage in violence against election or campaign-related targets. While there is currently no intelligence pointing to credible attack plots, DHS assess that open-air, publicly accessible parts of physical election infrastructure, such as campaign-associated mass gatherings, polling places, and voter registration events, would be the most likely flash-points for potential violence.
DHS further assesses that "individuals harboring violent extremist ideologies, and other violent actors, likely will continue to threaten or target candidates, public figures, and members of the general public who are perceive as opposing their worldview. All of this is consistent with past attack plotting and historical drivers for violent activity."
AlertsUSA urges caution and vigilance in the run-up to the November elections. If you think the last four months of near nightly violence, demonstrations and rioting in cities such as New York, DC, Atlanta, Minneapolis, Seattle, Portland and so many other locations have been bad, the chances are good things will only get worse, particularly in response to the intentional amplification of partisan and policy-based grievances, as well as in the event of a contested presidential election.
Foreign Election Interference
Also this week, the National Counterintelligence and Security Center issued a new awareness document warning that foreign adversaries such as China, Russia and Iran, are working to shape public opinion, divide the country, and influence the election process.
Fake Election Websites
Earlier this month, DHS warned state and local officials the FBI had identified dozens of suspicious websites that look like official election websites, but are not legitimate and could be used to interfere with the 2020 vote. The URLs of those site use misspellings or similar domain names, hoping to lure in internet users who accidentally enter the wrong address. The practice is formally referred to as "typosquatting."
Reward Up To $10 Million
The U.S. Department of State’s Rewards for Justice (RFJ) program, which is administered by the Diplomatic Security Service, is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the identification or location of any person who works with or for a foreign government for the purpose of interfering with U.S. elections through certain illegal cyber activities.
The reward offer seeks information on the identification or location of any person who, while acting at the direction of or under the control of a foreign government, interferes with any U.S. federal, state, or local election by aiding or abetting a violation of section 1030 of title 18, which relates to computer fraud and abuse.
AlertsUSA continues to monitor the domestic and international threat environment around the clock and will immediately notify service subscribers, via SMS messages to their mobile devices, of new alerts, warnings and advisories or any developments which signal a change the overall threat picture for American citizens as events warrant.
