Georgia’s secretary of state’s office says it has fended off a cyberattack believed to have originated in a foreign country and aimed to cripple the battleground state’s absentee voter website.
The Secretary of State’s cyber team was alerted to a dramatic increase in attempts to access Georgia’s absentee voting portal on October 14. The portal, which has been slowed but not stopped, is the website where voters request mail-in ballots.
The state’s voting systems are not connected to the internet and have not been affected, a spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
“[The event] had the characteristics of a foreign power or a foreign entity working at the behest of a foreign power,” said Gabriel Sterling, director of operations for the secretary of state’s office.
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A man fills out a ballot at a voting booth on May 17, 2022, in Mt. Gilead, North Carolina. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
The attack was stopped “thanks to the strong safeguards put in place,” the office spokesperson said.
Fox News Digital reached out to technology company Cloudflare, which supports the state’s cyber defense capabilities, and the FBI.
The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) posed questions to Georgian officials.
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Gabriel Sterling, director of operations in the Georgia Secretary of State’s office, speaks during a news conference at the state Capitol on Oct. 23, 2024, in Atlanta. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
The incident came as officials warned of election-related cyberattacks, including targeting political campaigns and election offices.
U.S. adversaries such as Russia, China and Iran have attempted to undermine the democratic process through various cyber tactics, Microsoft said in a report released Wednesday.
Russia remains focused on the Harris-Walz campaign, while Iran has explored election-related websites and media outlets, suggesting preparations for more direct influence operations as Election Day approaches, according to the report.
Chester County, Pennsylvania, election workers process absentee and mail-in ballots at West Chester University in West Chester on November 4, 2020. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, file)
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“The actors’ history of election interference and cyber influence operations underscore the continuing threat they pose,” the report said.
