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Romania's presidential election has been annulled due to alleged Russian interference, prompting international scrutiny. The Constitutional Court cited evidence of a coordinated disinformation campaign involving 25,000 fake accounts on TikTok and over 85,000 cyberattacks targeting the election's IT systems. These attacks, suspected to be state-sponsored, aimed to manipulate the election outcome and undermine the democratic process. Declassified documents revealed the extent of the alleged Russian influence campaign, leading the EU to tighten its control over TikTok and demand the preservation of relevant data.

The annulment of the election marks a significant development in the ongoing global struggle against foreign interference in democratic processes. The Romanian government's decision to declassify intelligence documents highlights the seriousness of the situation and the potential for social media platforms to be exploited for malicious purposes. The EU's response, demanding TikTok "freeze and preserve data," underscores the growing international concern about the use of digital platforms to manipulate elections. The scale of the cyberattacks, exceeding 85,000 attempts, further emphasizes the sophisticated nature of this interference. This incident serves as a warning to other nations about the vulnerabilities of election systems to such attacks.

ImgSrc: blogger.googleusercontent.com

References:

• @infosecnews.bsky.social - Romania annulled its presidential election after alleged Russian meddling on TikTok: 📱 25K fake accounts 💻 85K cyberattacks 🗳️ Coordinated disinfo - 18d
• The Hacker News - Romania's constitutional court has annulled the result of the first round of voting in the presidential election amid allegations of Russian interference. - 18d
• www.cysecurity.news - Romania’s election systems were hit by over 85,000 cyberattacks. Attackers have also stolen login credentials for election-related sites and posted the information on a Russian hacker forum just bef - 18d
• Techmeme - Romania's top court annuls presidential election, after its security council revealed "hybrid Russian attacks", like cyberattacks and TikTok influence campaigns - 18d
• Security Affairs - Romania’s election systems hit by 85,000 attacks ahead of presidential vote - 18d
• A Muse of Fyre - Romania won, today, in the hybrid war launched by Russia during presidential elections. The Constitutional Court annulled the first round, and the process, which was vitiated from the very beginning, - 18d
• TechSpot - Romania's election results annulled after systems saw over 85,000 cyberattacks - 18d
• apnews.com - Associated Press reports on the EU's request for information from TikTok regarding Russia's role in Romanian election turmoil. - 18d
• Over Security - EU demands TikTok 'freeze and preserve data' over alleged Russian interference in Romanian elections - 17d
• www.documentcloud.org - DocumentCloud link to Romanian Intelligence Service report on the cyberattacks. - 15d

Classification:

• HashTags: ElectionMeddling Cyberattacks Disinformation
• Company: TikTok
• Target: Romanian Presidential Election
• Attacker: Russia
• Product: TikTok
• Type: Espionage
• Severity: Major