The U.S. on Friday blamed the Russian government for the hacking of political sites and accused Moscow of trying to interfere with the upcoming presidential election.
(FOX)- Pressure has been mounting on the Obama administration to call out Russia for the hacking of U.S. political sites and email accounts. The hacking claim Friday was another setback in already strained U.S.-Russia relations.
The White House declined to say whether the formal attribution would trigger sanctions against Russia. A senior Obama administration official said the U.S. would respond “at a time and place of our choosing,” but any retaliation may not take place in the open.
The official said the public won’t necessarily know what actions the U.S. has already taken or will take in the future against Russia in cyberspace. The official wasn’t authorized to comment by name and requested anonymity.
Federal officials are investigating cyberattacks at the Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Election data systems in at least two states also have been breached.
We believe, based on the scope and sensitivity of these efforts, that only Russia’s senior-most officials could have authorized these activities,” the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said in a joint statement with the Department of Homeland Security.
The statement said recent disclosures of alleged hacked emails on websites like DCLeaks.com and WikiLeaks, and by the Guccifer 2.0 online persona, are consistent with the methods and motivations of efforts directed by Russia, which has denied involvement.
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