February 25, 2026

TLP:CLEAR

In This Issue:

• Situation Room: A series of threatening incidents in Indiana underline the importance of keeping private information off the internet.
  
• Resource Library: The Digital Footprint Self-Assessment worksheet helps you identify and migitate personal online vulnerabilities.
  
• Planning Desk: Stay safe at home and work, in public, and online. Take time to assess your personal security practices, habits, and surroundings. 

Public Officials Doxxed in Indiana

In late 2025, nearly a dozen Indiana state lawmakers were threatened for their position during a recent redistricting debate. The threat intensified when bad actors doxxed the lawmakers, using public records to find their home addresses and other personal information and then publishing it online. The actors then “swatted” the legislators, filing false reports of ongoing violence at their homes, intended to provoke a heavily-armed police response.

Following these incidents, an Indiana legislator introduced an anti-doxxing bill in January that would amend the definition of a “threat” to include posting personal information online with the intent to cause “bodily injury or damage to a person’s property.”

Why does it matter for elections? The old mob threat “we know where you live” is now available to most everyone, if they’re angry enough. In recent years, the Governor of Pennsylvania, the Illinois State Treasurer, federal judges, legislators, and even election officials have all been victimized at their homes, fueled by doxxing. As these incidents show, doxxing can lay the foundation for uglier attacks, particularly in elections, where tension remains high.

Details: Doxxing works by combining information from multiple sources – public records, social media posts, data broker sites, property records, and even offline clues like bumper stickers or yard signs – to build detailed profiles. After the 2020 election, some election workers were doxxed with photos of their front doors shared online. Some faced swatting attempts, and in one case, protesters trespassed into a private home.

The tactics that targeted election vendors and officials in 2020 are now more accessible, automated, and widespread. AI-powered services make information-gathering faster than ever. People-finder sites package personal details – address, phone numbers, property photos – into easily accessible profiles. And major social media platforms have scaled back content moderation and safety enforcement, meaning doxxed information is less likely to be removed.

The deadline problem: While there are services that can remove your personal information, they can take 45 to 90 days, or longer, to scrub common sites. With primaries beginning early in 2026, election officials should consider taking action now.

Defensive action you can take: Review the tool highlighted in the Resource Library below to determine your vulnerabilities and begin to protect against malicious publication of your private information.

The Situation Room focuses on real security incidents and threats in the news relevant to election security. To review previous issues, see the newsletter archive.

Digital Footprint Self-Assessment Worksheet

The Digital Footprint Self-Assessment Worksheet will help you determine your level of vulnerability and pinpoint the public information you need removed. In 20-30 minutes, it will lead you through:

• Search Engine Basics: Search for information about yourself online.
• Social Media Review: Review your social media accounts as if you were a stranger trying to learn more about you.
• People-Search Sites and Data Aggregators: Identify sites that may expose your address, personal information, and connections to family and associates.
• Check for Data Breaches: Determine what information could make you vulnerable to identity theft or the hijacking of your social media accounts.
• Review Family Members and Close Associates: Understand that your staff, family, and friends can introduce digital risks that compromise your safety. 
• Offline Exposure Review: Discover physical clues in your life that might help identify or track you in real life or exacerbate a confrontation.
• Identify High-Risk Platforms and Exposures: Identify and address your most critical online vulnerabilities.

The best time to start your assessment is now! Additional Resources:

• For a more detailed discussion on getting online information removed, see the Election Security Exchange guide How to Mitigate Doxxing for information on services that can help keep your data off the web.
  

• If you’re suffering a doxxing attack or want to learn more about how to respond, see the Election Security Exchange's nonpartisan guide Doxxing Incident Response, a step-by-step checklist that can help reassure you that there are still ways to protect yourself even after an incident has begun.

The Resource Library section of the newsletter spotlights election security resources. All highlighted resources are available online in the Resource Library.

Week E-36: Safeguard yourself and your team!

Personal security has become a vital element of election security. Protecting yourself requires action both on and off the job. 

Dedicate 30 minutes to discussing personal security with your staff to evaluate your security posture. Use the following suggestions to identify areas for improvement.

• Physical Security: Secure your physical space!
  • Ensure doors and windows are locked when leaving and when working late.
  • Deter intruders with lighting, security cameras, or an alarm system.
  • Park in a well-lit area covered by a security camera or in a staffed parking lot, if possible; consider leaving in pairs if working longer hours.
  • At home, consider security cameras and maintain landscaping to eliminate hiding places and ensure clear visibility.
  • Consider a log of suspicious incidents, or even minor ones. A pattern often emerges that precedes escalation, and documentation is essential if you need to involve law enforcement.
    
    
• Situational Awareness: Stay alert and observe your surroundings!
  • Keep your head up, maintain eye contact, and avoid distractions like scrolling on your phone when walking.
  • Exercise caution with personal information around strangers.
  • Alternate commuting routes and leave at variable times when possible. Let a family member or friend know if you are leaving work unusually late.
  • Monitor visitor entry - identify visitors and escort them while on the premises.
  • Use discretion - avoid looking at personal and work-related documents in public spaces. Keep work credentials and personal identification (driver's licenses, government IDs, conference badges, bank cards) out of sight.
  • Brief your family. Doxxing targets households, not just offices. Make sure your family members know to safeguard their information as well.

• Online Security: Protect your digital life!
  • Update your privacy and security settings to your comfort level for information sharing. Audit your family members' settings, too.
  • Disable geotagging so that no one can see where you are at any time.
  • Use unique usernames and (strong!) passwords across social media platforms.
  • Share with care - limit publicly available personally identifiable information (PII).
    • Avoid posting photos on social media that show your home address or license plate, or that easily identify your house or your children.
    • Limit information about your location, especially travel plans.
    • Review previous posts for information that could be used to target you.
  • Use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) when browsing or working on public wi-fi.
  • If you connect it, protect it - keep your devices updated to the latest security software, and protect them with antivirus software.
  • Use multifactor authentication (MFA) for all network, email, and social media accounts to prevent attackers from accessing them and leaking information.

Check out these nonpartisan resources for additional recommendations:

• CISA Personal Security Considerations Action Guide
• EAC 60 Second Personal Safety
• EAC Checklist: Personal Security for Election Officials
• Remove Private Info from Google Search

The Planning Desk is a running timeline of key election security tasks. You can find prior editions in the newsletter archive.