AP Explains: Not all cyber threats equally worrisome

A file photo of people voting at a polling place in Las Vegas. US state election officials in at least two dozen states, including Nevada, have seen suspicious cyber activity in the first half of January 2020, although it’s unclear who was behind the efforts and no major problems were reported. — AP

WASHINGTON: West Virginia reported unusual cyber activity targeting its election systems. The Texas governor said the state was encountering attempted "attacks" at the rate of "10,000 times a minute" from Iran. Information technology staff in Las Vegas responded to an intrusion, though the city says no data was stolen.

All told, state election officials in at least two dozen states saw suspicious cyber activity last week, although it’s unclear who was behind the efforts and no major problems were reported.