Guarding the Vote: Unmasking Cyber Threats in Election Season

Hello to all our cyber citizens! Join host Selena Larson and today’s co-host, Tim Kromphardt, as they chat with Joshua Miller, Senior Threat Researcher and Rob Kinner, Senior Threat Analyst both from Proofpoint.With election season on the horizon, cyber attackers are sharpening their tactics—impersonating government agencies, emailing journalists, and crafting sophisticated phishing schemes. But how real is the threat? And what can be done to protect our democracy from the digital shadows? Today, we pull back the curtain on the unseen battles being fought in cyberspace and what it means for voters, journalists, and defenders alike.The discussion covers a range of election threats, from malicious domains, impersonation, and typo-squatting to sophisticated credential phishing campaigns that exploit government and election-related themes.Also discussed:how state-sponsored actors from DPRK, Russia, and China are interested in espionage around election related topics the impersonation of various government entities for phishing purposes, revealing the creativity and resourcefulness of threat actorswhile cyber threats are pervasive, the integrity of the voting process remains strong, backed by robust defenses and ongoing efforts by dedicated professionalsResources mentioned:https://www.proofpoint.com/us/blog/threat-insight/best-laid-plans-ta453-targets-religious-figure-fake-podcast-invite-deliveringhttps://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-disrupts-covert-russian-government-sponsored-foreign-malign-influencehttps://www.proofpoint.com/us/blog/threat-insight/above-fold-and-your-inbox-tracing-state-aligned-activity-targeting-journalistshttps://www.proofpoint.com/us/blog/threat-insight/media-coverage-doesnt-deter-actor-threatening-democratic-votersFor more information about Proofpoint, check out our website.Subscribe & Follow:Don't miss out on future episodes—subscribe to the Discarded Podcast on your favorite platform.