US warns of cyber attacks during presidential elections

The US federal judiciary has warned of possible cyber breaches by foreign actors during the upcoming Presidential elections slated for November.

U.S. Circuit Judge Michael Scudder issued the warning during a meeting of the U.S. Judicial Conference in Washington, D.C.

“Now is a time when everyone in the judiciary needs to stay alert and be extra smart and vigilant in all aspects of our use and monitoring of our IT systems,” Scudder told reporters.

“Foreign adversaries see this election season as an opportunity to spread misinformation and to sow doubt about the workings and stability of our national government,” he added.

Last month, US intelligence agencies accused Iran of launching cyber campaigns for both US Presidential candidates.

This includes a hacking operation targeting Republican former President Donald Trump.

Scudder said that while he knew of no current cyber threat involving the courts, “we must presume the judiciary faces this same risk.”

“The reporting out of the intelligence community has emphasized just the risk to the nation as a whole,” he said. “And it takes really no imagination in our view to see election-related litigation potentially hit the courts again this upcoming cycle.”