This month, the Georgia Secretary of State’s office successfully countered a cyberattack that targeted the website where voters request absentee ballots just before the election.

The potential threat was detected on October 14, a day before early voting commenced in Georgia, when the office recorded countless attempts trying to access the website, as confirmed by the Secretary of State’s office to YSL News.

Cybersecurity specialists managed to neutralize the threat, but the office has not yet determined the exact origin of the attack. Gabriel Sterling, chief operating officer for Georgia’s Secretary of State office, indicated in a CNN report that it could have come from a foreign entity.

Officials confirm: Cyberattack did not affect absentee ballot requests

CNN first covered the attempted cyberattack on Wednesday night after confirming with election officials that the Georgia website faced an influx of attempts from numerous IP addresses worldwide.

Over 420,000 near-simultaneous attempts to access the website were recorded, which the Secretary of State’s office confirmed to YSL News, following earlier reports from Atlanta’s WSB-TV broadcaster.

Sterling shared these updates via separate tweets on social media platform X later that evening.

“The attack was identified and addressed swiftly,” Sterling noted in his first tweet, later adding, “This represents a significant victory for our cybersecurity team and our collaborators.”

Sterling assured CNN that the cyberattack did not hinder voters from requesting their ballots.

A spokesman from the office confirmed this information to YSL News on Thursday morning, without providing additional details.

This attack raised concerns amid increasing worries about foreign manipulation in the upcoming presidential election. On Wednesday, U.S. intelligence officials accused Russia of creating a false video aimed at discrediting Democratic vice-presidential nominee Tim Walz with fabricated sexual abuse claims, part of a strategy to influence the election in favor of Donald Trump.

Cyberattack occurred just before early voting in Georgia

This attack coincided with the start of early voting on October 15 in Georgia.

Since early voting began, there has been a remarkable turnout, with over 1.5 million Georgians casting their ballots by Monday, just eight days into the early voting period, marking a record high according to the Secretary of State’s announcement.

In comparison, during the 2020 presidential election, a total of 1,010,162 Georgians had voted within the first eight days of early voting.

“Georgia voters recognize the ease of casting their ballots. It’s as straightforward as that,” stated Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. “In recent years, we’ve made extensive efforts to facilitate this election by increasing early voting days and upgrading our infrastructure. We are well-prepared and ready.”