The Russia connectionAttacks against elections are inevitable – Estonia shows what can be done
Kremlin-backed attackers are working to influence the upcoming European Parliament elections, according to cybersecurity firm FireEye. These new reports highlight rising fears of digital attacks on democracy around the world, including on the U.S. presidential elections in 2020. Russian interference in the West is not new. The experiences of Estonia – the first country ever victim to a clearly coordinated and politically motivated cyber operation – can inform American and European defenses to these complex threats.
Kremlin-backed attackers are working to influence the upcoming European Parliament elections, according to cybersecurity firm FireEye. A hacking campaign has targeted governments and political organizations as well as think tanks and nonprofits, including prominent ones such as the German Council on Foreign Relations, the Aspen Institute and the German Marshall Fund, as Microsoft has reported.
These new reports highlight rising fears of digital attacks on democracy around the world, including on the U.S. presidential elections in 2020.
Potential targets include election technology such as voter lists, computers that tally the votes and websites that report results to the public. But the threats go farther, to cyber campaigns against institutions supporting democratic processes like political parties, think tanks and the media, as well as information warfare targeting public opinion.
Old problem of election interference
Russian interference in the West is not new. The experiences of Estonia – the first country ever victim to a clearly coordinated and politically motivated cyber operation – can inform American and European defenses to these complex threats.
Together with its neighbors Latvia and Lithuania, Estonia has won international recognition for the effectiveness of its defenses against politically motivated hacking and disinformation, which combine government, industry and public efforts. In the parliamentary elections of March 3, 2019, Estonians showcased the confidence they have in their country’s digital security.
Three days before Election Day, close to 40 percent of those eligible had already cast their vote. Most of those early voters did so online, and 44 percent of the total votes were cast over the internet.
