{"id":2346438,"date":"2024-09-26T18:14:45","date_gmt":"2024-09-26T22:14:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hackers-targeted-fec-prompting-preelection-threat-hunt-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-09-26T18:17:15","modified_gmt":"2024-09-26T22:17:15","slug":"hackers-targeted-fec-prompting-preelection-threat-hunt-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hackers-targeted-fec-prompting-preelection-threat-hunt-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Hackers targeted FEC, prompting preelection \u2018threat hunt\u2019 &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fhackers-targeted-fec-prompting-preelection-threat-hunt-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2346438&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Hackers targeted\u2063 the Federal\u200b Election Commission (FEC) earlier this year, prompting the\u2062 agency to overhaul its website \u200cand initiate a &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/top-cybersecurity-official-has-bad-news-about-ransomware-attacks-thatve-seemingly-worsened-under-biden\/\" title=\"Top Cybersecurity Official Has Bad News About Ransomware Attacks That\u2019ve Seemingly Worsened Under Biden\">threat hunt<\/a>&#8220;\u200c just before the 2024 election. The Department of \u2063Homeland Security\u2064 alerted FEC officials in April\u2062 about attempts by unknown sources to sell FEC data from its online\u200c system. \u200cFortunately, the data \u200bbeing sold was mostly public information, including donor reports and FEC decision\u200c papers.\u200b However, the identities of the hackers remain\u2063 unknown, and officials \u200bcannot confirm the extent of any <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-senate-report-multiple-failures-on-jan-6-threats-exposed-capitol-police\/\" title=\"New Senate Report: Multiple Failures on Jan. 6 Threats Exposed Capitol Police\">potential breach<\/a>. This incident follows a history \u200cof \u200bsimilar attacks, including one over\u200c a\u2062 decade ago \u200dattributed\u200c to hackers from China. \u200cThe FBI\u2063 has cautioned that \u200dpolitical hacking is expected to escalate leading up to the election, raising\u2063 concerns about its \u200bimpact on the electoral process.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Hackers targeted FEC, prompting preelection &lsquo;threat hunt&rsquo;&nbsp;<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1769819\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Hackers targeted the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/federal-election-commission\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Federal Election Commission<\/a> earlier this year, prompting the agency to move swiftly to revamp its website and launch a &ldquo;threat hunt&rdquo; just weeks before the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/2024-elections\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>2024 election.<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Secrets learned this week that the Department of Homeland Security told FEC officials in April that they had detected evidence that unknown sources were trying to sell FEC data taken from its online system.<\/p>\n<p>The good news for the FEC is that what was apparently being peddled was &ldquo;public&rdquo; information, such as the reports from campaigns about donors and FEC decision papers.<\/p>\n<p>The bad news is that the hacker remains unknown. Worse, officials can&rsquo;t determine if there was an actual hack and, if there was, how deep it went.<\/p>\n<p>A little over 10 years ago during a budget-sparked government shutdown, officials said that hackers from <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/blogs\/blog-briefing-room\/news\/193332-report-fec-system-hacked-during-shutdown\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>China hit the FEC<\/a> system.<\/p>\n<p>The new report comes just weeks after officials said that former President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/cwy7kvkk2dwo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Donald Trump&rsquo;s website<\/a> was hacked by Iran and that information in that system was pushed to media and other sources.<\/p>\n<p>The FBI has warned that political hacking is sure to happen before the election and could interfere with the process.<\/p>\n<p>In a memo sent out this week, FEC Staff Director Alec Palmer told the two congressional committees that oversee the agency that the hack, or potential hack, prompted a switch to a new internal system that has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/president-of-el-salvador-high-immigration-to-u-s-is-bad-for-u-s-and-latin-american-nations\/\" title=\"President Of El Salvador: High Immigration To U.S. Is Bad For U.S. And Latin American Nations\">improved security<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The FEC continues to coordinate with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to investigate a potential breach of the legacy legal search systems,&rdquo; said Palmer in a memo sent yesterday to the Senate Rules and Administration Committee and the Committee on House Administration.<\/p>\n<p>Also, Palmer said that the agency has launched a search in the new system for threats.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/washington-secrets\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SEE THE LATEST POLITICAL NEWS AND BUZZ FROM WASHINGTON SECRETS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;FEC has requested CISA to conduct a &lsquo;Threat Hunt,&rsquo; which is currently underway. FEC teams are working closely with CISA and stand ready to respond should CISA detect any Indicators of Compromise,&rdquo; Palmer added.<\/p>\n<p>A person familiar with the investigation told Secrets, &ldquo;There was a &lsquo;potential breach&rsquo; and &lsquo;a significant number of exploitation attempts,&rsquo; but assessments of whether there was an actual compromise have been inconclusive. We&rsquo;re continuing to work on the issue.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1769819\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1769819\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hackers attacked the FEC, leading to a preelection &#8216;threat hunt.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2647,"featured_media":2346439,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/AP19171078227771.jpg.optimal.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[41808,34382,10614,11231,32076],"class_list":["post-2346438","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-cyber-threats","tag-election-security","tag-fec","tag-hackers","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/AP19171078227771.jpg.optimal.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2346438","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2647"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2346438"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2346438\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2346439"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2346438"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2346438"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2346438"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}