Russian Hackers Target Florida Election Software Company

by | Jun 6, 2017


A report published Monday in The Intercept raises more questions about the extent of Russian hacking of the 2016 U.S. elections and specifically details the alleged hacking of a voting software supplier headquartered in Tallahassee.

The details of the cyber attack by the Russian military are part of a National Security Agency memo dated May 5 that was obtained by the Intercept.

According to the report, the Russian plan was to trick local government officials into opening Microsoft Word documents that contained hidden malware that could give hackers complete control of infected computers.

To deceive local officials, the hackers needed a disguise to provide them authenticity. In late August of last year they sent emails intended to look like they came from Google to workers at an unnamed election software company.

The NSA memo doesn’t specifically mention the election software company, but it was later determined to be VR Systems. The firm is based in Tallahassee and provides election software to eight states

The Interceptor says the NSA found “potential victims” at the company and that at least one of the employee accounts was likely compromised.

In a statement released by VR Systems Tuesday afternoon, the company says it took action after it first received reports of fraudulent email.

“When a customer alerted us to an obviously fraudulent email purporting to come from VR Systems, we immediately notified all our customers and advised them not to click on the attachment,” the statement said. “We are only aware of a handful of our customers who actually received the fraudulent email and of those, we have no indication that any of them clicked on the attachment or were compromised as a result.”

VR System’s statement goes on to say:

“Phishing and spear-phishing are not uncommon in our society. We regularly participate in cyber alliances with state officials and members of the law enforcement community in an effort to address these types of threats. We have policies and procedures in effect to protect our customers and our company.”

A spokeswoman for the Florida Secretary of State, which oversees the state’s election office, acknowledges the state  was contacted by federal authorities shortly after the alleged hacking incident occurred.

“It was an informational call and the FBI alerted officials for the need to maintain security measures,” said Sarah Revell, the agency’s communications director. “They did not provide any information specific to VR Systems.

“Florida’s online elections databases and voting systems remained secure in 2016. We have multiple safeguards in place to protect against elections fraud and prevent any possible hacking attempts from being successful,” Revell added.

Two months after the initial attack, the hackers had obtained enough information to create a Gmail account that appeared to belong to a VR Systems employee. More than 120 spear-phishing emails were sent from that account.

In its memo, the NSA says it’s uncertain about the results of the attack and whether the hackers achieved their desired goals.

 

2 Comments

  1. billyroberts1

    How to Create a Crypto Exchange Platform
    Whether you’re looking to launch your own crypto exchange platform or simply want to find out more about it, there are many questions you’ll want to ask. Here are some tips to help you get started.

    Choosing a reliable bank to operate a cryptocurrency exchange platform
    Choosing a reliable bank to how to create a cryptocurrency exchange is an important decision. This is because you will be entrusting your coins to someone else. A reliable exchange will be transparent in its operations, and have a customer support department that is capable of answering questions quickly and thoroughly.

    You may want to consider an exchange that has the most customers. This will help you avoid having to pay high commission rates. Some exchanges only accept deposits from certain banks and financial institutions. Choosing a reliable exchange can also reduce the risk of being ripped off.

    A reliable platform will also have a robust security system, including multifactor authentication. In fact, some crypto exchanges offer insurance for some or all of your funds.

  2. Olivia Miller

    In light of this, it is crucial for companies like IMR Digital to stay ahead of the curve in safeguarding their systems and the data entrusted to them. As a prominent player in the digital industry, has a responsibility to employ state-of-the-art security protocols to protect their clients’ information from potential cyber threats.

 

What is the most glaring political issue facing Floridians ahead of Legislative Session?
×
%d bloggers like this: