How Much Does It Cost to Influence an Election? About $400,000
- Trend Micro says that’s cost to buy followers, post fake news
- Swaying voters is easier than hacking vote process, firm says
Volunteers count ballot papers for three constituencies in Tyne and Wear ceremonial county at the Silksworth Community Pool, Tennis and Wellness Centre in Sunderland, U.K., on Thursday, June 8, 2017. Britons voted today after an election dominated by Brexit, austerity and in the closing phases, security.
Photographer: Matthew Lloyd/BloombergWant to influence an election? All you need is about $400,000, according to cyber security consultant Trend Micro Inc.
That’s the sum it takes to buy followers on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, hire companies to write and disseminate fake news postings over a period of 12 months, and run sophisticated web sites to influence public opinion, according to Udo Schneider, a security expert for the German-speaking market at Trend Micro.