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Cyberattack targeting Georgia’s absentee ballots thwarted

By FOX 5 Atlanta Digital Team
Updated  October 24, 2024 8:49am EDT
Georgia
FOX 5 Atlanta

Unsuccessful hackers target Georgia voter site

The Georgia Secretary of State's Office said it fought off a cyberattack in mid-October. Hackers attempted to attack the website that Georgia voters use to request absentee ballots on Oct. 14.

The Brief

    • Cyberattack hit Georgia's voter registration website on the first day of early voting confirmed by the state office.
    • Attack on Oct. 14 significantly disrupted absentee ballot request processes.
    • Over 420,000 IP addresses from around the world were detected in the attack.
    • Site traffic returned to normal levels after quick response by cybersecurity team.
    • Origin of the attack is unclear, with evidence of proxy use from at least 20 countries.

ATLANTA - A cyberattack targeting Georgia's voter registration website occurred on the last day of voter registration, the Georgia Secretary of State's office confirmed on Wednesday. 

The attack, which took place on Oct. 14 around 5:16 p.m., significantly slowed the internal system used by voters to request absentee ballots.

Gabriel Sterling, Chief Operating Officer at the Georgia Secretary of State's office, gives an update on early voting in the Peach State under the Gold Dome in Atlanta on Oct. 23, 2024.

Gabriel Sterling, Chief Operating Officer at the Georgia Secretary of State's office, gives an update on early voting in the Peach State under the Gold Dome in Atlanta on Oct. 23, 2024.

According to Chief Operating Officer Gabriel Sterling, a security vendor quickly identified the event as a potential attack. The site was flooded with over 420,000 IP addresses from across the globe in what was quickly identified as a potential attack. The cybersecurity team swiftly responded by implementing mitigation measures to verify the humanity of the users.

SEE ALSO: Georgia’s Secretary of State announces 20 noncitizens found to be registered voters

Georgia early voting, election security | FULL PRESS CONFERENCE

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Gabriel Sterling, the Chief Operating Officer for the Secretary of State’s Office, give an update on early voting and election security.

Following this action, traffic volumes significantly decreased. Around 5:40 p.m., the site was back to the normal level of traffic. Officials monitored the system throughout the evening, and by 10 p.m., officials determined the attack had subsided.

Experts say the origin of the attack remains unclear. The IP addresses involved originated from at least 20 countries, but officials believe the responsible party likely used proxy servers from other nations.

The Source

  • The Georgia Secretary of State's office provided the details for this FOX 5 Atlanta original report.