In 2020, Professor Manos Antonakakis, a top researcher working with DARPA, confirmed in a private email that evidence of Russian and Iranian Command and Control (C&C) activity inside state and local networks was “beyond dispute.”
What the heck is C&C?
Basically it’s exactly what it sounds like — remote-controlled cyber attack capability.
How does it work?
Step 1. Hacker installs malware inside a network.
Step 2. Malware “phones home” to a server to receive instructions.
With an active C&C connection, the hacker can:
✅ Steal sensitive voter data.
✅ Monitor internal government communications.
✅ Position themselves to disrupt systems on Election Day.
Evidence was found of adversaries scanning for vulnerabilities in election software vendors and local IT offices to find a way inside.
Russia gained access to systems that host voter registration databases and election results reporting.
Once inside, guess what Russia and Iran actually did? It might not be what you think: Instead of messing with the votes, they successfully messed with our heads.
In 2020:
😱 Iranian hackers obtained voter registration data and sent thousands of “spoofed” emails to voters in multiple states, threatening them to “vote for Trump or else” while posing as the Proud Boys.
😱 Both Russia and Iran deployed “hack-and-leak” operations and “deepfakes” to undermine public confidence in the integrity of the vote count.
C&C signals are caught by using a digital tripwire called the Albert Sensor.
Provided by CISA (which officially became a federal agency under DHS in 2020) to local counties, these sensors monitor network traffic for the specific digital fingerprints of known foreign hacking groups.
👉 Here’s the point for 2026: Russia and Iran actively meddle in U.S. domestic politics by sowing discord — through lies, propaganda, intimidation and manipulation.
WHEN WE FIGHT AMONGST OURSELVES, THEY WIN.
Sources:
- DOJ/DHS Joint Report on 2020 Foreign Interference: https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/press-release/file/1376761/dl
- ODNI Declassified Assessment on Foreign Threats: https://www.dni.gov/files/ODNI/documents/assessments/ICA-declass-16MAR21.pdf
- FBI/CISA Alert on Iranian Voter Intimidation Campaign: https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/cybersecurity-advisories/aa20-304a
- Treasury Sanctions on Russian/Iranian Interference Entities: https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy2766
- Two Iranian Nationals Charged for Cyber-Enabled Disinformation and Threat Campaign Designed to Influence the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/two-iranian-nationals-charged-cyber-enabled-disinformation-and-threat-campaign-designed
Written with the help of AI.
Writing by Dr. Dannielle Blumenthal 
You must be logged in to post a comment.