On Eve of US Election, ‘High Alert’ and Cautious Optimism on Foreign Interference

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS — In the final days of one of the most consequential U.S. presidential campaigns in memory, outside threats to the election remain a high risk. As The Cipher Brief has reported, there is heightened concern over foreign interference from several quarters, much of it driven by new technologies that have made it easier for adversaries to meddle in the process. 

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) has repeatedly warned that Russia, China and Iran are using generative artificial intelligence (AI) technology to spread dis- and misinformation about the presidential candidates, and amplify political divisions. Cyber threat actors have also tried to hack into the presidential campaigns; reports suggest that Chinese hackers who broke into U.S. telecommunications networks last month targeted the phones of former President Donald Trump and several of his family members, as well as members of Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign staff.