Ransomware Feared For November Election

WASHINGTON (AP) – As state and local governments brace for November’s election, federal authorities are sounding the alarm about the potential for a well-timed ransomware attack that could block access to voter registration data and paralyze critical election operations. Such attacks lock data until a payment is made. They have long targeted local governments and companies, but officials view election systems as attractive targets themselves – or potentially collateral damage in an attack aimed at another part of a network. Even if a ransomware attack fails to disrupt elections, it could nonetheless rattle confidence in the vote.