Porn advisors target the California Secretary of State’s website



Official California state election and business registration websites appear to be made by prostitution and cash app vendors.

Google users who searched for information related to the sites, both of which are monitored by the California Secretary of State, were directed to PDFs with links and titles that included “My friend’s hot mom” and “Japanese sex videos porn videos sexy.”

The links, which appear to be linked to the official website of the State, are linked to the legitimate website address for business services and other information provided by the Secretary of State.

The links, once opened, direct users to pornographic sites.

A representative for the secretary of state did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The government agency oversees election and business documents.

Several government sites across the country have reported similar attacks over the past few weeks.

KBAK-TV reported that the website for the state’s Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District hosted documents last month detailing how to use AI technology to generate petition images. A representative for the air quality district told the TV station that the issue was with their web hosting partner Granix.

Another news outlet reported that the website of the Kansas Attorney General’s office was targeted for promoting AI-generated vandalism images. The issue involves a third-party platform, KWCH-TV reported.

Granix told the news station that it is “aware of reports of illegal content being uploaded from government websites. Among the government agencies mentioned in these reports, Granix’s customers are a small subset.”

Brian Penny, a freelance journalist and AI researcher in Tuscon, told The Times the secretary of foreign affairs. He said he first discovered an AI sexual ad last month related to the Nevada Department of Transportation.

Since then, he has tracked down 38 government agencies in 18 states and three countries that have been targeted by porn, video game, cryptocurrency and other advertisers.

He said he reports contact with several government agencies.

One concern, he said, would be if a government employee clicks on a malicious link and the bad actors are then able to find people’s personal information or receive email from a government account and send people traffic bills, for example.

“It’s a big thing,” Penny said. “All of our city and county governments need to focus on cybersecurity right now. If the government isn’t secure, how secure are you?”



https://www.latimes.com/

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