Romania’s Constitutional Court (CCR) has annulled the first round of its recent presidential elections after intelligence reports revealed extensive foreign interference. Cyberattacks and influence campaigns have raised serious concerns, prompting authorities to reschedule elections while addressing security vulnerabilities.
Cyberattacks on Election Infrastructure
The Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI) uncovered relentless cyberattacks targeting key election systems between November 19th and November 25th. Attackers exploited vulnerabilities to compromise platforms such as:
- Bec.ro: Central Election Bureau system.
- Registrulelectoral.ro: Voter registration platform.
Key findings include:
- Methods Used: SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS) exploited to infiltrate systems.
- Leaked Credentials: Stolen login details shared on Russian cybercrime forums.
- Server Breach: A compromised server linked to mapping data allowed access to sensitive election infrastructure.
- Origin: Attacks traced to devices in over 33 countries, suggesting state-level backing.
While the SRI has not explicitly named Russia, the attack methods strongly indicate state-level involvement.
TikTok Influence Campaign
Beyond cyberattacks, a coordinated TikTok influence campaign sought to sway public opinion in favor of presidential candidate Calin Georgescu:
- Influencers: Over 100 influencers with a combined 8 million followers participated.
- Payments: Ranged from $100 for smaller influencers to substantial sums for those with larger followings.
- Impact: Pro-Georgescu content peaked on November 26th, ranking 9th among TikTok’s top trending videos.
- Activity Pattern: Many accounts involved were dormant since 2016 but became active weeks before the election.
Romania’s Ministry of Internal Affairs (MAI) noted parallels between Georgescu’s messaging and narratives supporting pro-Russian candidates in Moldova, further tying the campaign to Russian influence efforts.
Geopolitical Implications
Romania’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SIE) linked these actions to a broader Russian strategy to destabilize NATO-aligned countries:
Goals: Undermine democratic processes and promote eurosceptic narratives.
Target: Romania’s significant NATO presence makes it a critical focus of Russian propaganda and disinformation campaigns.
Election Annulment and Future Challenges
On November 6th, the CCR annulled the election’s first round, citing security breaches and highlighting vulnerabilities in Romania’s electoral infrastructure. Moving forward:
- Cybersecurity Enhancements: Authorities face mounting pressure to strengthen defenses against similar attacks.
- Disinformation Countermeasures: Efforts to combat influence campaigns are essential to safeguarding future elections.
- Warning from SRI: Election system vulnerabilities remain exploitable, raising concerns about upcoming elections.
The incidents in Romania underscore the rising threat of cyberattacks and influence operations on democratic processes worldwide, emphasizing the urgent need for robust security measures to protect electoral integrity.
