American elections in jeopardy? Pentagon steps up cyber fight against foreign meddling — report | Today’s news
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has directed Pentagon staff to use advanced intelligence, cyber and artificial intelligence to identify and disrupt foreign interference targeting the upcoming US election, according to a report by Axios.
The directive reportedly comes as the threat of foreign interference has remained a recurring issue throughout US election cycles over the past several years. And the latest effort will include some of the most advanced artificial intelligence capabilities the US government uses to detect and combat potential threats.
Hegseth’s three-part guideline
According to the news outlet, Hegseth on September 22 approved a report containing three related directives aimed at protecting US elections.
The first directs the Pentagon to prioritize its intelligence and cyber capabilities to prevent foreign actors from interfering with America’s democratic systems. U.S. Cyber Command and combat support agency directors will join the effort.
The second calls for the Defense Intelligence Enterprise to collect and generate intelligence on foreign threats to American elections while complying with applicable laws, regulations, and executive orders.
The third focuses on potential cyber attacks against election infrastructure. Axios reported that the US Cyber Command and the Department of Homeland Security will conduct joint operations to counter cyber threats originating from foreign actors.
The initiative places greater emphasis on artificial intelligence in an effort to detect and respond to foreign election interference.
Pentagon, DHS working together
Pentagon officials said federal, state and local authorities are working with military cyber and intelligence teams.
Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell was quoted by the news site as saying that officials at various levels of government are working “closely” with US cyber commands and defense intelligence teams to stop foreign interference and attacks.
The coordination is intended to bring together federal cyber and intelligence capabilities with state and local officials responsible for election administration.
2020 U.S. Elections: How Allegations of Foreign Interference Were Made
The Pentagon’s latest effort to counter foreign election meddling comes amid controversy surrounding the 2020 US presidential election, when then-President Donald Trump challenged Joe Biden’s victory and sought to challenge the results.
The 2020 election also saw documented efforts at foreign influence and meddling, including operations linked to Russia and Iran. US authorities said foreign actors sought to influence US voters, spread disinformation and undermine confidence in the electoral process.
However, a US government investigation found no evidence that a foreign government altered the vote count or changed the outcome of the election.
US intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia conducted influence operations aimed at damaging Biden’s candidacy and undermining confidence in the US electoral system. A 2021 intelligence assessment said Russian actors promoted stories critical of Biden while promoting claims favorable to Trump.
Separate investigations by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security, including the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), found no evidence that foreign actors tampered with election systems or altered election results.
Read also | India’s Essar Group to build largest US steel plant: What Donald Trump said
