Trump blames Minnesota for water systems cyber attack, but experts say it’s too soon to dismiss Iran – PolitiFact

At a July 31 Cabinet meeting at Camp David, the presidential retreat, Trump said, “I think that Minnesota is behind it. You know who is behind it? Minnesota, because they are grossly incompetent. I think the governor is behind it. I don’t think there was an Iranian cyberattack. I think that Minnesota needs to get its act together.” 

 However, on July 22, the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency warned about “ongoing Iranian-affiliated cyber targeting” of devices that run critical infrastructure. A 2024 agency warning about Iranian cyber threats specifically cited water and wastewater systems...

 https://politifact.com/article/2026/jul/31/minnesota-water-cyber-attack-iran-blame-trump/

 

Trump's address may focus on the 2020 election. Here's what to know about foreign interference, voting security | PBS News

In 2016, Russian agents used hacking and disinformation campaigns in an attempt to tilt the election in Trump's favor, government reports have shown. Special Counsel Robert Mueller, tasked with investigating it, found no criminal coordination between Moscow and the Trump campaign. 

There are multiple safeguards protecting elections from foreign interference, including regularly audited paper records for 98% of votes cast in almost every state, Norden said. 

The Trump administration has cut back on election security efforts launched during his first term, such as the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. In a 2020 post-election tweet, Trump fired the head of CISA, Chris Krebs, after the agency released a statement that affirmed the election's security...

 https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trumps-address-may-focus-on-the-2020-election-heres-what-to-know-about-foreign-interference-voting-security 

The Trump admin cut election security funds. Now officials fear future elections may be ‘less secure.’ - POLITICO

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency's programs for securing elections — everything from scanning election system networks for safety to sharing data with the public on potential threats — have been put on hold pending a review by the Department of Homeland Security, with no guarantee they will start up again… 

"Withdrawing CISA's support for local election officials will make elections less secure," Schmidt warned in a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem this month. 

The lack of support from the cyber agency was further complicated this week when President Donald Trump signed an executive order that would completely overhaul the election process across the country and require DHS and the Election Assistance Commission — a federal organization that helps with election administration — to review the security of voting machines across the nation. It's unclear how the agencies will carry this out, particularly with CISA support on hold…

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/03/31/trump-admin-cut-election-security-funds-00258787

 

Biden strengthens US cyber defenses against Russia and China threats

Among its most striking provisions is a mandate for federal agencies to implement end-to-end encryption for email and video communications, alongside new requirements for artificial intelligence-powered cyber defence systems and quantum computing safeguards. 

Central to the order is an expansion of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency's (Cisa) powers to hunt for threats across federal networks. The nation's premier cyber agency – which Trump put together in 2018 – will gain new authorities to verify security commitments from government contractors and coordinate with federal technology officers...

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/16/biden-cyber-china-russia

U.S. officials urge Americans to use encrypted apps amid cyberattack

Officials from the FBI and CISA said it was impossible to predict when the telecommunications companies would be fully safe from interlopers...

https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/us-officials-urge-americans-use-encrypted-apps-cyberattack-rcna182694

Conservatives are increasingly knives out for the nation’s top cyber agency - POLITICO

The fight over CISA underscores yet another way Trump's election fraud claims are reverberating into 2024. And though the hard right doesn't have enough votes to defund CISA today, the growing backlash against it has supporters worried that a hard-right faction could hobble the agency in the years ahead — undermining its efforts not just to secure future elections, but also protect key U.S. and federal networks from major hacks...

https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/22/conservatives-cyber-cisa-politics-00122794