Computers used by United States Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's campaign have been compromised by Russian hackers, a federal officer said on Friday. Clinton's campaign handlers have alleged that the attack is an attempt by Russia to influence the result of the US elections in November, The New York Times reported.
Hackers got access to an analytics programme that was maintained by the Democratic National Committee and used by the campaign, according to a statement released by Clinton's campaign. However, the internal computers used by the campaign were not breached. The programme accessed was used to analyse voter data, not including their credit card or Social Security numbers.
Moreover, computer systems of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee – Democrats' fund-raising wing – were also reportedly hacked on Friday. The two databases contain some of the party’s most sensitive data, as well as information on voters and finances. A spokesperson for the congressional committee, Meredith Kelly, said they brought in forensic investigator CrowdStrike as soon as they realised the hacking.
According to an official involved in the probe, the breach into the congressional committee's systems was headed by "Fancy Bear", a group associated with Russian military intelligence service GRU. The Federal Bureau of Investigation on Friday said they were looking into reports of "cyber intrusions involving multiple political entities", without disclosing the targets.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!