CISA said on 16 October that it and the FBI issued a public warning for the 2026 US midterm elections. It is aimed at election officials, candidates and campaign staff. Attackers may use phishing (fake emails) and smishing (fake texts). They aim to steal logins and other private data, or to install malware, which is harmful software. CISA said these campaigns are increasingly polished. They can closely copy real emails, texts, audio and video.
CISA said these groups are attractive targets. They can reach voter registration data, current government officials and sensitive campaign information. The announcement names no attacker and no victim. It does not say who is behind the activity or whether any attack worked. CISA and the FBI urge officials, staff and the public to read the warning, follow its advice and watch for odd emails and texts.
This is WebPulse analysis, not CISA's claim. The warning is about the channel. Fake texts, voice and video sit outside tools built to filter email. A fake sign-in link copies a real login page and captures what the victim types. A password alone fails because the thief now has it too. Hardware keys and passkeys work only on the real site, so a copy gets nothing. Leaders can ask which channels staff use to verify requests, and whether sign-in uses these methods.