PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) – You know about the FBI, and in this Navy Town, chances are you’ve heard of NCIS. But what about CISA?
CISA, or the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, is the agency charged with tracking high tech criminals who are trying to meddle with the Nov. 5 elections.
Formed in 2018, CISA’s media rollout has the vibe of a prime-time television show introduction.
“Every day, federal, state and local officials across our country work tirelessly to safeguard the security and resilience of the golden thread of American democracy,” Agency Director Jen Easterly said.
CISA is on the move with other agencies in order to track cyber criminals around the globe.
“The reality is, election infrastructure has never been more secure,” Easterly said.
Thursday, the FBI announced it’s investigating cyber criminals who created fake video of ballots being destroyed in Pennsylvania.
“As we are going through this 2024 election cycle, we have seen a greater degree and sophistication of influence efforts targeting our election process than in any prior cycle,” Cait Conley, CISA’s Senior Advisor said. “And the big three actors that we see here are Russia, Iran, and China.
Conley said the suspects have two very clear and powerful goals. “The first, they’re looking to undermine the American public’s confidence in our democratic institutions. The second, they’re looking to stoke partisan discord,” Conley said.
CISA is also warning people to not be surprised if criminals use familiar faces, such as local television news personalities, to trick voters this election season. In August, 10 On Your Side’s Chris Horne took a deep dive into AI deepfakes and how to spot them.
But it wasn’t a trick in 2021 when the Norfolk office of the FBI reportedly warned superiors of a violent plan to disrupt the certification of the 2020 presidential election. This time, CISA said they are ready for foreign and domestic threats.
“It’s not possible for a malicious actor to hack into voting equipment, to have a material impact on the outcome of the presidential election, certainly not without being detected,” Easterly said.
For more information on CISA, click here.