East Michigan News

As the final days leading up to Election Day run out, concerns over foreign influence in the U.S. election continue to raise concerns from all sides.

Andy Arena, executive director for the Detroit Crime Commission and a former head of the FBI’s Detroit office, recently appeared on WJR’s "The Frank Beckmann Show" to discuss allegations that Iran and Russia obtained U.S. voter registration data in an effort to influence the election.

Arena told Beckmann that it’s expected for foreign actors to be attempting to influence the U.S. election, especially through technological means.

“It’s certainly no surprise that our adversaries would be trying to use that against us -- to hack, to sow discord, whatever,” he told Beckmann. 

Arena said that people live their lives now “on the cyber realm,” from shopping to socializing, so it’s understandable that outside powers would target Americans there.

Beckmann asked Arena how the FBI determines whether a foreign power is attempting to interfere with elections.

“For the last 15 to 20 years, that has really been a focus of the intelligence services here in the United States,” Arena told Beckmann. “We know that our adversaries are going to attack us in this way.”

Arena referenced the recent indictment of six Russian intelligence officers for their involvement in cyber crimes. The cyber realm is the next battlefield, according to Arena.

“That is where our adversaries are attacking us,” Arena told Beckmann. “The Russians are very surgical in how they attack us and how they gather information. The Chinese are much more -- they cast a wider net.”

Arena told Beckmann that Iran tends to be less sophisticated in its approaches than some other international players. 

“I think they see how it’s worked, they see that there’s a game plan out there, and they just took a page out of the Russian and Chinese intelligence services, and they’re going to try to do what they can do,” Arena told Beckmann.