Page 171 - Cyber Defense eMagazine Annual RSA Edition for 2024

Big Year for Politics – Big Year for Cyber?

Exploring the top cyber threats this election season

By Chase Richardson, Head of US & Lead Principal at Bridewell

The US 2024 presidential election is fast approaching and is likely to attract an array of cyber threats
including the heightened risk of vigorous malware and phishing attacks on critical infrastructure.

The intensity of cyberattacks often corresponds to major political events, but this year the highly divisive
nature of November’s general election and external geopolitical factors make a significant increase even
more likely. Preparation will be essential as Russia, North Korea, Iran, and activist hacking groups all
carry their own motivations. The fall-out from the Ukraine war and the conflict in Gaza will intensify threat
levels. But threat actors of all types may target critical infrastructure in order to disrupt the run-up to the
election, make money, or draw attention to themselves.

Although the US National Intelligence Council (NIC) report into the 2020 election found no evidence of
direct interference with voter registration and voting processes, it confirmed that “profit-motivated
cybercriminals disrupted 2020 US presidential election preparations in some states with ransomware

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