The Independent View: 39 State Election Systems Were Hacked by Russia in 2016

Russia’s Cyberattack on the U.S. Electoral System before Trump’s Election was far more widespread than has been publicly revealed, including incursions into Voter Databases and Software Systems in almost twice as many States as previously reported.

In Illinois, Investigators found evidence that Cyber Intruders tried to Delete or Alter Voter Data. The Hackers accessed Software designed to be used by Poll Workers on Election Day, and in at least one State accessed a Campaign Finance Database. Details of the Wave of Attacks, in the Summer and Fall of 2016, shows the Russian Hackers hit Systems in a total of 39 States.

The Scope and Sophistication so concerned Obama Administration Officials that they took an unprecedented step, complaining directly to Moscow over a modern-day “red phone.” In October, the White House contacted the Kremlin on the back channel to offer Detailed Documents of what it said was Russia’s role in Election Meddling and to warn that the Attacks risked setting off a broader Conflict.

The new Details, buttressed by a Classified National Security Agency Document recently disclosed by the Intercept, show the scope of alleged Hacking that Federal Investigators are scrutinizing as they look into whether Trump Campaign Officials may have colluded in the efforts. But they also paint a worrisome picture for Future Elections: The newest portrayal of potentially deep Vulnerabilities in the U.S.’s patchwork of Voting Technologies comes less than a week after former FBI Director James Comey warned Congress that Moscow isn’t done meddling. “They’re coming after America,” Comey told the Senate Intelligence Committee investigating Russian interference in the Election. “They will be back.”

Russian Officials have publicly Denied any Role in Cyber Attacks connected to the U.S. Elections, including a massive “Spear Phishing” effort that compromised Hillary Clinton’s Campaign and the Democratic National Committee, among hundreds of other Groups. President Vladimir Putin said in recent comments to Reporters that Criminals inside the Country could have been involved without having been sanctioned by the Russian Government.
One of the mysteries about the 2016 Presidential Election is why Russian Intelligence, after gaining access to State and Local Systems, didn’t try to Disrupt the Vote. One possibility is that the American warning was effective. Another former Senior U.S. Official, who asked for anonymity to discuss the Classified U.S. Probe into Pre-Election Hacking, said a more likely explanation is that several months of Hacking Failed to give the Attackers the Access they needed to Master America’s Disparate Voting systems spread across more than 7,000 Local Jurisdictions.

Such Operations need not Change Votes to be effective. In fact, the Obama Administration believed that the Russians were possibly preparing to Delete Voter Registration information or Slow Vote Tallying in order to Undermine Confidence in the Election. That effort went far beyond the carefully Timed Release of Private Communications by Individuals and Parties. One former Senior U.S. Official expressed concern that the Russians now have Three Years to Build on their knowledge of U.S. Voting Systems before the next Presidential Election, and there is every reason to believe they will use what they have learned in Future Attacks.

In many States, the extent of the Russian Infiltration remains unclear. The Federal Government had no Direct Authority over State Election Systems, and some States offered Limited Cooperation. When then-DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson said last August that the Department wanted to declare the Systems as National Critical Infrastructure, a designation that gives the Federal Government broader Powers to Intervene, Republicans balked. Only after the Election did the two sides eventually reach a deal to make the Designation.

I think the other problem with Russian interference with the 2016 Election was the placing of Fake News. Their ability to selectively place Fake News in those Voting Districts to turn the Election required knowing the internal polling of the winning Candidate. To find out if that happened and by who must be part of this Russian Investigation by the Independent Special Council.