Hacker­s workin­g for the Kremli­n breach­ed system­s in Illino­is, a county databa­se in Arizon­aWASHINGTON: A hack on an Arizona election database during the 2016 US presidential campaign was carried out by suspected criminal actors and not the Russian government, a senior Trump administration official told Reuters on Sunday. The official was responding to a report on CBS News’ “60 Minutes” citing an internal government document that Russian hackers successfully infiltrated computer systems associated with at least four US states, including Arizona, leading up to the 2016 election. The cyber attack on Arizona was not perpetrated by the Russian government, the official said. Media outlets including Reuters reported in August 2016 that the Federal Bureau of Investigation had detected Russian breaches of voter registration systems in Arizona and Illinois. US intelligence agencies last year accused Russia of using hacking, false information and propaganda to disrupt the 2016 election and try to ensure Republican Donald Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Source: The Express Tribune April 09, 2018 07:49 UTC