Foreign actors 'likely' to use 'information manipulation' tactics during 2022 election: Feds

Foreign actors are "likely" to use "information manipulation" to try to influence the 2022 election, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and FBI warn in a new bulletin.

"Foreign actors may intensify efforts to influence outcomes of the 2022 midterm elections by circulating or amplifying reports of real or alleged malicious cyber activity on election infrastructure," the public service announcement dated Oct. 6 states. "Additionally, these foreign actors may create and knowingly disseminate false claims and narratives regarding voter suppression, voter or ballot fraud, and other false information intended to undermine confidence in the election processes and influence public opinion of the elections' legitimacy."

CISA is the cyber arm of the Department of Homeland Security.

The law enforcement agencies cite previous elections where foreign governments, without directly naming any, have attempted to influence the election and "incite violence" as a result of spreading misinformation.

In the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, the U.S. government identified Russia, China and Iran as election disrupters.

"Foreign actors can use a number of methods to knowingly spread and amplify false claims and narratives about malicious cyber activity, voting processes, and results surrounding the midterm election cycle," the alert says. "These actors use publicly available and dark web media channels, online journals, messaging applications, spoofed websites, emails, text messages, and fake online personas on U.S. and foreign social media platforms to spread and amplify these false claims."

John Cohen, the former Acting Secretary of Intelligence and Analysis at the Department of Homeland Security said it is "critical" local, state and federal officials come together to "understand the risks posed by these foreign and domestic threat actors and take steps to protect elections officials, workers and infrastructure from physical and cyberattacks."

"As we approach the midterm elections, state and local officials face a number of highly dangerous election-related threats ranging from cyberattacks and information operations by hostile foreign powers to threats of violence directed at election officials and infrastructure," Cohen, an ABC News contributor said. "The security of the nation depends on it."