USA TODAY International Edition
Intelligence officials find ‘ probing’ of election systems
But federal authorities say they have not seen coordinated efforts to manipulate mail- in balloting.
Federal authorities have detected “scanning and probing” operations targeting local election systems, but efforts to penetrate the networks have been largely unsuccessful, officials said Wednesday.
At the same time, the officials said they have “not seen” coordinated efforts to manipulate mail- in balloting, despite the unsupported assertions of President Donald Trump who has warned of massive fraud.
The assessment, provided in a briefing by federal law enforcement and intelligence officials, comes as security operations are ratcheting up in advance of November’s presidential election. The officials asked that they not be identified so that they could speak more candidly about the threat.
It also comes on the heels of a threat analysis offered earlier this month in which intelligence officials warned that Russia is actively working against Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, while China regards Trump as “unpredictable” and prefers that he not win reelection. The earlier report also concluded that Iran is working to foment division and undermine Trump in advance of the election.
Trump has sought to emphasize the China assessment, warning of dire implications for its result. And in the minutes after Wednesday’s briefing began, the president suggested in a tweet that there was new information about China’s preference for Biden.
“Just In,” Trump wrote, “Chinese State Media and Leaders of CHINA want Biden to win...”
Asked about Trump’s tweet, a senior intelligence official participating in the briefing said that the government’s earlier China assessment had not changed.
The officials also notably tamped down concerns for the security of mailin ballots, despite the barrage of attacks launched by Trump.
“We have not seen a coordinated voter fraud effort,” a senior law enforcement official said.
Deputy Attorney General Jeff Rosen, speaking at a separate event, appeared to echo the security assessment.
“We have yet to see any activity intended to prevent voting or change votes,” Rosen said during an online conference hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, adding that it would be difficult for foreign actors to do so.
Federal authorities, meanwhile, lauded the cooperation of state and local officials, claiming that security preparations were far more advanced than in 2016.
Some local election systems, for example, have attached sensors to perimeters of their electronic networks in an attempt to better identify intrusions, federal authorities said.