Firm stops attempt to hack DNC data

Using AI, web company spotted mystery bid to steal info on Democratic voters

Chicago — An attempt to break into the Democratic National Committee’s massive voter database has been thwarted, a party official said Wednesday, two years after Russian operatives sent the party into disarray by hacking into its computers and facilitating the release of tens of thousands of emails amid the presidential election.

A web security firm using artificial intelligence uncovered the attempt. The DNC was notified Tuesday, it said. Hackers had created a fake login page to gather usernames and passwords in an effort to gain access to the Democratic Party’s voter file, a party official said. The file contains information on tens of millions of voters. The attempt was quickly thwarted by suspending the attacker’s account, and no information was compromised, the official said. The FBI was notified.

The official wasn’t authorized to speak about sensitive security information and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

Government and tech officials say it’s too early to know who was behind the attempt. The FBI declined to comment to the AP.

The attempt comes as Democrats gather for their summer meeting. The party’s cybersecurity has been an issue since the 2016 presidential election, when Russian hackers compromised DNC servers and publicly revealed internal communications that exploited divisions between Bernie Sanders’ and Hillary Clinton’s campaigns as the two candidates vied for the Democratic presidential nomination. Hackers also accessed the email accounts of Clinton’s campaign chairman, John Podesta, and systematically released the contents throughout the fall campaign.

It also comes a day after Microsoft announced it had uncovered similarly fraudulent websites created by Kremlin agents that spoofed two conservative outfits that are foes of Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, presumably to trick unwitting visitors into surrendering credentials.

Bob Lord, the DNC’s chief security officer, said the attempt shows how serious the cyberthreat is and why it’s critical that state and federal officials work together on security.

“This attempt is further proof that there are constant threats as we head into midterm elections and we must remain vigilant in order to prevent future attacks,” Lord said in a statement.

He said President Donald Trump isn’t doing enough to protect American democracy. Previously, Trump mocked the DNC’s cybersecurity and cast doubt on U.S. intelligence officials’ findings that Russia was involved.

At a previously scheduled election security briefing Wednesday, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said the quick response to the attempted DNC hack shows that the system was working “and that different entities understand who to reach out to,” she said.