MOSCOW, August 10. /TASS/. IT specialists have repelled over five million computer attacks on the portal of Russia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) since the start of the 2023 electoral campaign, and their number will only continue to grow in the run-up to Unified Election Day on September 10, CEC member Igor Borisov said at a press conference at TASS on external threats to Russian electoral sovereignty during the 2023 electoral campaign.
"Attempts to influence and hack the Russian electoral system are constantly being made. From June 1 to July 31 of this year, using the resources of Rostelecom, which protects the internet portal of the CEC of Russia, 16,546 computer attacks of high criticality were registered and prevented, directed from the Internet to the CEC of Russia’s portal. The total number of attacks on the CEC of Russia’s portal, of all levels of criticality, deflected since the start of the electoral campaign has exceeded five million," Borisov said.
According to him, in July there was a threefold increase in all types of attacks compared to June. "We are prepared for the fact that their number will only increase up until election day," Borisov added.
This year, Russia’s Unified Election Day falls on September 10. The Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and Lugansk People’s Republics (LPR), as well as the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, will take part in the nationwide voting for the first time since joining the Russian Federation. More than 4,000 election campaigns for public offices at various levels are expected to take place in 85 of Russia’s 89 regions. As many as 21 regions will hold direct elections for top officials and 20 regions will elect members of local legislative assemblies. Voters will choose among candidates vying for over 34,000 political offices.