Security researchers in the US have suggested that there is a marked difference in the level of Russian engagement in hacking the 2018 election when compared to their activity in influencing the 2016 election. While the Russian bots of Twitter are still engaging in the spreading of fake news on partisan issues, the large scale hacking attempts we seen in 2016 are largely absent.
Corin Imai, senior product manager at threat intelligence company DomainTools thinks that this lack of blatant election meddling may well be conspicuous in its absence:
Corin Imai, Senior Product Manager at DomainTools:
“This news is a lot more sinister than it may appear. While on the surface, a lack of interest coming from nation-states like Russia in the Midterms would appear to be a good thing, when you consider what they achieved with the dramatic attacks of 2016. Both security researchers and members of the public need to remain vigilant in regards to the fake news we see spread from nation-states on social media, attempting to sway individuals on partisan issues. Twitter’s recently announced anti-election hacking measures are a step in the right direction, but vigilance against unverified new sources is still the best tool we have in protecting our democracy.”
