Current:Home > BackGeorgia restricts Fulton County’s access to voter registration system after cyber intrusion-InfoLens
Georgia restricts Fulton County’s access to voter registration system after cyber intrusion
View Date:2024-12-23 15:37:47
ATLANTA (AP) — An apparent cyberattack that affected government operations in Georgia’s most populous county is creating challenges for its election office as it prepares for the state’s March 12 presidential primary.
Robert Sinners, spokesman for the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office, said Thursday that Fulton County’s access to the state voter registration system had been restricted as a precaution. There was no indication election systems were targeted, and county officials were working through plans to begin restoring the connection, county spokeswoman Jessica Corbitt said.
“In an abundance of caution, Fulton County and the Secretary of State’s technology systems were isolated from one another as part of the response efforts,” Corbitt said in a statement. “We are working with our team to securely re-connect these systems as preparations for upcoming elections continue.”
The county, which includes Atlanta, did not respond to questions about whether officials were able to process new voter registration applications and mail ballot requests received since discovering the breach, which the county described as a “cybersecurity incident.”
A document on the county’s website indicated no mail ballot requests had been processed since Jan. 26.
County election officials still have time to do that work, and state officials said they do not expect the issues will affect the upcoming primary. The voter registration deadline is Feb. 12, the same day election offices can begin to send mail ballots to those who requested them.
In-person, early voting is scheduled to begin Feb. 19.
On Monday, county officials said a “widespread system outage” had occurred, affecting the county’s phone, court and tax systems. A county statement on Tuesday listed its election office as being closed but noted that testing of voting machines was still being conducted to prepare for the primary.
Eric Goldstein with the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, which is charged with helping to protect elections, said in a statement that the agency was in communication with county and state officials and is “ready to provide any of CISA’s services that may be of assistance.”
Corbitt said the county took immediate steps to protect its network once the activity was detected and reported the matter to law enforcement. She said the county has hired a cybersecurity firm to help investigate and bring the affected systems back online.
veryGood! (738)
Related
- When do new episodes of 'Cobra Kai' Season 6 come out? Release date, cast, where to watch
- TikToker Jehane Thomas Dead at 30
- Ashley Graham Shares the Makeup Hack That Makes Her Life Easier as a Busy Mom
- Twitter employees quit in droves after Elon Musk's ultimatum passes
- 25 monkeys caught but more still missing after escape from research facility in SC
- Gisele Bündchen Addresses Very Hurtful Assumptions About Tom Brady Divorce
- Elizabeth Holmes sentenced to 11 years in prison for Theranos fraud
- How Twitter's platform helped its users, personally and professionally
- Here's what 3 toys were inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame this year
- Sephora 24-Hour Flash Sale: 50% Off BeautyBio, First Aid Beauty, BareMinerals, and More
Ranking
- It's about to be Red Cup Day at Starbucks. When is it and how to get the free coffee swag?
- Olivia Wilde Shares Cheeky Bikini Photo to Celebrate New Chapter
- Elon Musk expected to begin mass Twitter layoffs
- Kelly Ripa Recalls Past Marriage Challenges With “Insanely Jealous” Husband Mark Consuelos
- Fire crews gain greater control over destructive Southern California wildfire
- Detectives seeking clues in hunt for killers of 22 unidentified women: Don't let these girls be forgotten
- Have you invested in crypto on FTX or other platforms? We want to hear from you
- Facebook parent company Meta sheds 11,000 jobs in latest sign of tech slowdown
Recommendation
-
Stock market today: Asian shares mostly decline, shrugging off Wall Street’s overnight rally
-
Brazen, amateurish Tokyo heist highlights rising trend as Japan's gangs lure desperate youth into crime
-
King Charles' coronation celebration continues with concert and big lunch
-
The Game Awards 2022: The full list of winners
-
West Virginia governor-elect Morrisey to be sworn in mid-January
-
Today's interactive Google Doodle honors Jerry Lawson, a pioneer of modern gaming
-
How TikTok's High-Maintenance Beauty Trend Is Actually Low-Maintenance
-
King Charles' official coronation pictures released: Meet the man who captured the photos