The FBI and the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) have warned election officials, candidates and the American public to remain alert to AI-powered cyber threats ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, warning that hackers could use convincing fake emails and text messages to steal sensitive information.In an alert issued on Friday, the agencies said cybercriminals could target election officials, candidates and political organisations with fraudulent messages designed to obtain passwords and other sensitive data, according to Reuters.“Election officials, candidates, and their political organizations are attractive targets to malicious cyber criminals,” the alert said.The advisory also warned that advances in artificial intelligence could make phishing attempts more convincing. The alert referred to “super intelligence”, a term endorsed by US President Donald Trump, and said the technology was helping hackers improve fraudulent emails and text messages to make them appear more authentic, Reuters reported.The warning comes amid a separate investigation into suspicious mailings sent to election officials and lawmakers ahead of the midterm polls.The FBI and the US Postal Inspection Service, the law enforcement arm of the US Postal Service, said on Thursday they were investigating letters sent to state election officials and lawmakers’ offices. Some of the letters reportedly contained an unidentified substance.The investigation comes less than three weeks before the November 3 elections, which will determine control of the US Congress. The Postal Service is also preparing to process millions of mail-in ballots.Spokespersons for Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic senators Alex Padilla of California and Chris Murphy of Connecticut said the Postal Service had intercepted letters containing a suspicious substance that were addressed to their offices, Reuters reported.“This incident is a stark reminder of the very real dangers facing those who serve the public and who help administer our elections,” Padilla said in a statement.The US House of Representatives sergeant at arms, the chamber’s chief law enforcement officer, also informed staff that some public officials had received letters containing suspicious white powder.Brendan Donahue, a deputy chief inspector with the US Postal Inspection Service, said some suspicious letters had been intercepted and the investigation was continuing.“We are committed to protecting our nation’s election officials from threatening and dangerous mail. Any threat or attack on an election official is unacceptable,” Donahue told reporters.The National Association of Secretaries of State and the National Association of State Election Directors said on Wednesday that a series of suspicious letters had been sent to state election offices. Letters addressed to election offices in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Idaho were intercepted before delivery, Reuters reported.
