Cyberattack on Georgia County’s Computer Infrastructure Prompts Statewide Election System Access Severance

Cyberattack on Georgia County’s Election Infrastructure Prompts State Response

The computer infrastructure of Coffee County in Georgia, a focal point in the debate over the legitimacy of the state’s 2020 presidential election, was hit by a cyberattack earlier this month. The attack led state officials to cut off the county’s access to statewide election systems.

The Coffee County Board of Commissioners revealed that they were alerted to unusual cyber activity by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency on April 15. While no data was stolen, evidence of malicious cyber activity was found, prompting the county to declare a cyber incident and secure its systems.

As a precaution, Georgia’s Secretary of State’s office disconnected Coffee County from the statewide voter registration system and other state systems. This move was made to prevent any potential threats from spreading to other counties.

The incident in Coffee County is the second cyber breach in Georgia involving counties linked to former President Donald Trump and his allies. Earlier this year, Fulton County was hit by a ransomware attack believed to be orchestrated by the Russian criminal group LockBit.

In Coffee County, Trump allies are accused of illegally obtaining voting machine software, marking a significant breach of voting equipment. The full extent of the cyberattack and the identity of the perpetrators remain unknown.

The county’s website experienced disruptions, and officials have cited maintenance issues as the reason for delays in responding to public records requests. The Georgia Secretary of State’s office has taken swift action to address the situation and ensure the security of the state’s election systems.

The investigation into the cyberattack is ongoing, with state and local officials working to determine the scope of the breach and prevent future incidents. Stay tuned for updates on this developing story.