U.S. Dramatically Unprepared for 2018 Hacking, Says Top House Democrat

Last edited Mon Jan 22, 2018, 12:48 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: Newsweek Magazine



HACKING THREATS ARE SERIOUS FOR 2018 ELECTIONS AND U.S. IS ‘DRAMATICALLY UNPREPARED,’ SAYS TOP HOUSE DEMOCRAT

BY SAM SCHWARZ ON 1/22/18 AT 9:26 AM

Russian hackers played an outsized role in the 2016 elections, and should they seek to infiltrate U.S. election systems in 2018, the country is "dramatically unprepared," said a top House Democrat on Sunday.

California Congressman Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, told The Philadelphia Inquirer on Sunday that President Donald Trump and Republicans are not taking seriously the threat that hackers pose to the legitimacy of the 2018 elections. Schiff added that the GOP refusal to take action to protect elections stems from Trump's repeated insistence that FBI special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into ties between the Trump campaign and Russia is a "hoax."

"We have a president who should be leading that national conversation who is calling it all a hoax," said Schiff, who has been vocal about the need to investigate potential ties between the president and Russia. "The threat to our system of checks and balances from within is greater than anything the Russians pose."

During the 2016 election cycle, 21 states were targeted by hackers who attempted to penetrate voter registration files, which often include sensitive information about voters. Hackers also attempted to gain access to public election websites in the targeted states.

Read more: http://www.newsweek.com/hacking-2018-elections-midterms-donald-trump-786636