PHOENIX, Ariz. (KGUN) — The Arizona Secretary of State’s Office says it has successfully stopped a cyberattack aimed at part of its website, confirming that the state’s voter registration system was never in danger.
According to Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, the attempted intrusion targeted the Candidate Portal, a section of the site used by political candidates to file paperwork. The office’s IT and cybersecurity teams detected suspicious activity last week during routine monitoring.
“Our office identified patterns of activity consistent with what others are now publicly acknowledging,” Fontes said. “These aren’t abstract threats; they are real, persistent, and growing.”
In response, officials quickly restricted access to the system and took the Candidate Portal offline as a precaution. While security checks were underway, the elections department worked directly with candidates to ensure they could still submit required documents without delay.
Fontes emphasized that the statewide voter registration database was not targeted and remained secure throughout the incident. The office has shared details of the attack with cybersecurity partners and updated its security measures to guard against similar threats.
The Secretary praised the state’s IT and security staff for their swift action and dedication to protecting Arizona’s election infrastructure.
“We will continue to lead with urgency and vigilance, because defending democracy doesn’t come with a pause button,” Fontes said.
The Secretary of State’s Office will post further updates if needed on its official website: azsos.gov.
