FBI, CISA refute report claiming Russian hack of Michigan voter data

Sept. 2 (UPI) -- U.S. cybersecurity officials have refuted a report that personal voter information from Michigan that appeared on a Russian hackers platform had been illegally leaked in a data breach.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Cybersecurty and Infrastructure Security Agency on Tuesday clarified that there have been no successful attacks this year on voter registration databases anywhere in the United States.

"Information on U.S. elections is going to grab headlines, particularly if it as cast as foreign interference," the agencies said in a joint statement. "Early, unverified claims should be viewed with a healthy dose of skepticism."

Earlier Tuesday, the Michigan Department of State also denied there had been a data breach. The type of voter information found on the hackers platform, they said, is publicly available with a Freedom of Information Act request.

The confusion resulted from a report from the Russian newspaper Kommersant, which was subsequently acknowledged by U.S. journalist Julia Ioffe.

"Russian journalists have discovered data from Michigan voter data rolls -- including the personal info of 7.6 million Michigan voters -- on a Russian hackers' platform," she wrote in the her widely-viewed tweet. "It also includes voter info from other swing states, including Florida and [North Carolina]."

Kommersant reported that the information -- including voter names, dates of birth, gender and addresses -- was being offered for sale on the dark web. CISA and the FBI clarified that all the information, however, can be legally obtained.

CISA Director Chris Krebs tweeted that the episode shows that "it's going to be critical over the next few months to maintain our cool and not spin up over every claim."

"The last measure of resilience is the American Voter," he added.