RECENT HACKINGS RAISE FEARS THAT A FOREIGN GOVERNMENT COULD BE INTERFERING WITH OUR ELECTION. HELLO EVERYONE, I’M RICK JACKSON. THANKS FOR JOINING US TODAY. LAST WEEK, WIKILEAKS, WHICH IS AN ONLINE DATABASE THAT PUBLISHES LEAKED DOCUMENTS FROM ANONYMOUS SOURCES; RELEASED THOUSANDS OF HACKED EMAILS FROM THE HILLARY CLINTON CAMPAIGN. HACKING IS WHEN SOMEONE USES A COMPUTER TO GAIN UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO DATA.
IN THIS CASE, THE HACKERS GAINED ACCESS TO THE CLINTON CAMPAIGN E-MAIL ACCOUNT – WHERE THEY STOLE PRIVATE E-MAILS THAT CONTAIN TRANSCRIPTS OF PAID SPEECHES CLINTON GAVE TO BANKS, ALONG WITH MANY OFTEN UNFLATTERING E-MAILS, REVEALING WHAT HILLARY CLINTON AND HER TOP AIDES WERE THINKING AND DOING, IN THE HEAT OF THE CAMPAIGN.
HER OPPONENT, DONALD TRUMP TWEETED THIS IN RESPONSE: “I HOPE PEOPLE ARE LOOKING AT THE DISGRACEFUL BEHAVIOR OF HILLARY CLINTON AS EXPOSED BY WIKILEAKS. SHE IS UNFIT TO RUN.”
FOR THE ONLINE ATTACKS, THE CLINTON CAMPAIGN HAS BLAMED RUSSIA, A COUNTRY THAT CLINTON HAS BEEN CRITICAL OF, AND THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY AGREED, SAYING: “ONLY RUSSIA’S SENIOR-MOST OFFICIALS COULD HAVE AUTHORIZED THESE ACTIVITIES.”
BUT RUSSIA CLAIMS INNOCENCE: "Well, it is flattering, of course, to get this kind of attention. For a regional power as President Obama called us some time ago. Now everybody in the United States is saying that it is Russia the United Nations Presidential Debate. It is flattering as I said but it has nothing to be explained by defense.”
THESE RECENT HACKINGS HAVE RENEWED FEAR THAT FOREIGN HACKERS COULD TARGET MORE THAN JUST CANDIDATE E-MAIL ACCOUNTS…COULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO HACK THE ELECTION ITSELF? UP NEXT, JIM SCIUTTO TAKES A CLOSER LOOK AT ELECTION HACKING, AND WHO EXACTLY IS TO BLAME. TONIGHT STATE ELECTION AUTHORITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY ASKING WASHINGTON FOR URGENT PROTECTION FROM CYBER ATTACKS FROM ABROAD.
(Jeh Johnson/Homeland Security Secretary) "We have been working with state election officials, local election officials."
HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY JEH JOHNSON TELLING LAWMAKERS TODAY THAT AHEAD OF THE NOVEMBER ELECTION, NO FEWER THAN 18 STATES HAVE COME FORWARD FOR HELP. THE CALL COMES AFTER HACKERS SUCCESSFULLY PENETRATED VOTING SYSTEMS IN ILLINOIS AND ARIZONA.
(Jeh Johnson/Homeland Security Secretary) "What we are seeing are efforts to get into voter registration rolls, the identity of registered voters."
ASKED WHERE THE CYBER ATTACKS ARE COMING FROM, SECRETARY JOHNSON DEMURRED.
(Sen. Jon Tester/(D) Montana) "Is it coming from one particular country?"
(Jeh Johnson/Homeland Security Secretary) "I don't believe that we have reached a determination."
THAT SAME QUESTION, ALONG WITH QUESTIONS ABOUT OTHER ELECTIONRELATED HACKS, SPARKED SHARP DIFFERENCE OF OPINION ON THE DEBATE STAGE MONDAY NIGHT. HILLARY CLINTON POINTING AT RUSSIA.
(Hillary Clinton/(D) Presidential Nominee) "There is no doubt now that Russia has used cyber attacks against all kinds of organizations in our country. I am deeply concerned about this. I know Donald was very praise-worthy of Vladimir Putin. But Putin is playing a tough, long game here."
DONALD TRUMP OFFERING AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT THEORY.
(Donald Trump/(R) Presidential Nominee) "She is saying Russia, Russia, Russia. Maybe it was. I mean, it could be Russia. But it could also be China. Could also be lots of other people. It also could be somebody sitting on their bid that weighs 400 pounds, okay."
THE FACT IS MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCE OFFICIALS AND LAWMAKERS BRIEFED ON THE INTELLIGENCE TELL CNN THAT RUSSIA OR HACKERS WORKING FOR RUSSIA ARE THE MOST LIKELY CULPRITS. A POINT THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE, JAMES CLAPPER, FIRST ACKNOWLEDGED IN PUBLIC TO CNN WEEKS AGO.
(Jim Sciutto/Reporting) "Is it your view that Russia has the intention of, if not influencing this election, undermining confidence in the U-S political process?"
(James Clapper/Director of National Intelligence) "They see a U-S conspiracy behind every bush. They believe that we are trying to influence political developments in Russia, and so their natural response is to retaliate."
Instructional Links
Article: Points of View Reference Center, Hacktivism, Overview
May Need Password
Website Article: Webopedia, Hacker
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/H/hacker.html
Website Article: Newsela, Snowden, Who Told About U.S. Spying, Would Like To Return From Russia
https://newsela.com/articles/snowden-hiding/id/11324/
Encyclopedia Article: World Book Student, Julian Assange
http://www.worldbookonline.com/student/article?id=ar754638&st=assange#tab=homepage
May Need Password