Several predictions have pointed out that 2024 will not only be an election year but also a year of civil rights. Security has identified an increasing trend of malicious cyber activity aimed at imperilling sovereign elections around the world as one of the most important elections of all time. In an election year that is set to take place in 2024, there will be more than ever malicious cyber activity that will attempt to undermine the elections.
The occurrence of this trend is particularly concerning during a time of unprecedented geopolitical volatility, which is characterized by 64 countries (including the European Union) holding national elections in the coming year, according to Time Magazine.
The number of eligible voters in this election amounts to approximately 2 billion, which represents almost 49 per cent of the world's population.
The results of these elections will have lasting consequences for a significant number of these voters for years to come, according to Time Magazine, which reported the results earlier this week. In terms of geopolitical relations and military conflicts around the world, the U.S. presidential election has been by far the most important contest this year.
Expectations are that the outcome of this election could cause a profound change in the future of global conflict.
This rise in tension is occurring at a time when there is a deepening political divide in the US, as well as increasing tensions abroad over Gaza, Ukraine, and other issues.
There is no doubt that the US is not the only country that is being surveyed, so what critical threats should people pay attention to - and in what ways might they potentially harm the democratic process as a whole?
The mounting evidence in favour of cyber criminals having increased their arsenal of tools to disrupt and influence elections is increasingly clear as the escalating war on democracy gains momentum.
There is a variety of methods they use, and they are becoming increasingly sophisticated over time.
As a result, in some cases, the breach of personal data is directly related to the attack at critical infrastructure and the dangers associated with protecting the infrastructure.
Throughout history, cybercriminals have developed their skills at stealing and releasing private information about political figureheads, which they use to manipulate public opinion and manipulate public policy. Also, they have managed to become experts at social engineering, where they often trick people into giving up their account or system passwords or downloading and running malware through the use of e-mails and text messages that appear legitimate but are fake and malicious.
It is possible for attackers also to exploit software vulnerabilities in applications, devices, computers, or servers, and these vulnerabilities can be purchased on black markets, which has led to an increase in cybercrime.
These platforms were designed to amplify the hype of sensationalist headlines, frequently encouraging users to share sensationalist headlines even when there is some doubt as to their accuracy. Despite the bombardment of misinformation, public understanding has been muddied, dangerous conspiracy theories are being cultivated, and opinions and actions are being manipulated by deception and deceit.
In manoeuvres such as the so-called "firehose of falsehood," citizens are bombarded with innumerous falsehoods that they cannot discern right from wrong, and their faith in the government and political institutions is undermined as a result.
As an example, someone can impersonate the social media profiles of candidates, which will then be used to mislead voters either about their political views or about their candidates.
As well as deep fakes, there are other new challenges to be faced, such as doctored videos and photos designed to give the appearance of truth but convey false information. In addition to the possibility of detecting and correcting such types of disinformation, the damage may already be done in the minds of the voters if they are exposed to them.
In this election season, there is a rise in misinformation campaigns designed to discourage voters from going to the polls, as well as cyberbullying and threats targeting candidates and public figures in an attempt to subdue them.
As trolls continue to sow discord and intimidation across social media and social media platforms, they are stifling meaningful participation among other marginalised groups. It is possible for foreign actors to marginalize legitimate citizen voices and undermine the democratic process in a wide range of ways by disrupting online discussions and deploying strategic ad campaigns, bots, and troll armies.
Before the start of 2024, the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (CCCS) published a report saying there had been an increase in cyberattacks targeted at elections, similar to our findings and conclusions.
There has been a significant increase in the proportion of global elections in which cyber enemies are targeting the ballot box from 10 per cent in 2015 to 26 per cent in 2022. This report shows that approximately 25 per cent and 35 percent, respectively, of the countries targeted by these attacks throughout this reporting period were NATO countries, and more recently, OECD countries.
It is worth noting, however, that Resecurity also observed a 100 per cent increase in activity between the previous analysis period and 2023 and early 2024, in addition to the continued targeting of the United States and its allies.
As part of this assessment, a total of 15 incidents were observed by Resecurity and reported to the appropriate authorities worldwide in the following jurisdictions: Africa, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Ecuador, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Israel, Iraq, Lebanon, Turkey, and Mexico, as well as some incidents in other regions.
Threat actors are not only engaged in cyber espionage, but they are also devising operations intending to disrupt and manipulate public opinion much like those that the Cold War conducted.
These incidents, however, remain difficult from an investigation perspective, and it is often not obvious to the public that they are occurring.
During historically volatile and uncertain geopolitical periods, marked by the escalation of conflicts throughout the Middle East and Eastern Europe, election security from hostile cyber-threats has become needed to sustain the global democratic order in this era of global instability. We intend that this report will focus on malign cyber-activity that targets elections in more than 17 countries across the globe in the coming several months.
Using disruptive cyber techniques, which threaten the very fabric of democratic processes from within is a profound and far-reaching threat whose consequences are profound and far-reaching. A cyberattack that targets a political campaign isn't just an attempt to violate personal privacy - it's a calculated effort to manipulate democratic processes and sow discord among voters by compromising their privacy. These acts of digital sabotage have profound implications for the electoral system. If left unchecked, these acts will continue to erode public trust in an electoral system that is renowned for its transparency and legitimacy, further weakening what is already a deeply divided society.
