CISA and FBI warn election and campaign officials of phishing ahead of 2026 midterms

CISA and the FBI have issued a joint Public Service Announcement warning election and campaign officials about cyber threats during the 2026 U.S. midterm elections. The notice describes phishing and smishing campaigns that mimic legitimate communications to steal credentials and deploy malware. For anyone handling voter data or sensitive campaign information, it sets out who is being targeted and why, and points to recommended practices.

• CISA and the FBI released a joint Public Service Announcement on October 16, 2026 warning of cyber threats to the 2026 U.S. midterm elections.
• The agencies say actors may use phishing and smishing to steal login credentials and sensitive information or to install malware on targeted devices.
• Election officials, candidates and political organisations are named as targets because of access to voter registration data, government officials and sensitive campaign information.
• The notice warns that campaigns increasingly use convincing emails, text messages, audio and video to manipulate recipients into disclosing information or interacting with malicious links and attachments.

Executive summary

CISA and the Federal Bureau of Investigation released a Public Service Announcement on October 16, 2026, warning election and campaign officials about cyber threats during the 2026 U.S. midterm elections. The announcement, carried on the CISA website as a public…

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