# CISA, FBI warn of election phishing threats

Published: 2026-10-16 · Severity: routine · Sectors: Government (National) · Not tied to an actor or CVE
Canonical: https://vorant.io/reports/70defb17-8ca2-55ab-9a58-0ac9a43d7771/cisa-fbi-warn-of-election-phishing-threats
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> CISA and FBI warn election and campaign officials of phishing and smishing campaigns targeting credentials ahead of 2026 U.S. midterms.

Source: cisa.gov — https://www.cisa.gov/resources-tools/resources/cyber-threat-actors-use-variety-techniques-target-election-and-campaign-officials

## What to check

- Applies to: Not tied to a specific actor, malware or CVE, only to the sectors it covers, so it may be general reporting. Check the source before acting on it. Whether it concerns you is not assessed.

CISA and the FBI issued a Public Service Announcement warning election officials, campaign staff, and political organizations about ongoing cyber threats ahead of the 2026 U.S. midterm elections. The advisory highlights that threat actors are using increasingly sophisticated phishing and smishing (SMS phishing) campaigns, including convincing emails, text messages, and even audio/video content, to steal login credentials and sensitive information or to install malware on targeted devices.

The PSA notes that election officials, candidates, and political organizations are attractive targets due to their access to voter registration data, communications with current government officials, and sensitive campaign strategy information. No specific threat actor, malware family, or technical indicators are disclosed in this advisory; it is a general awareness and best-practices bulletin rather than an incident report or detailed technical analysis.

Defenders in the elections and political sector should treat this as a reminder to reinforce phishing and smishing awareness training, enable multi-factor authentication, and monitor for suspicious login attempts or messages impersonating election officials or campaign organizations. CISA and FBI urge recipients to review the full PSA and follow recommended cybersecurity hygiene practices.

Source reporting: https://www.cisa.gov/resources-tools/resources/cyber-threat-actors-use-variety-techniques-target-election-and-campaign-officials

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