U.S. officials reportedly warned DNC of hack months before they did something about it
The Democratic National Committee was warned about the possibility of hackers in their computer network several months before they attempted to address the issue, U.S. officials told CNN.
In April, consultants from a private security firm were brought in to investigate, and the hackers weren't removed from the network until June, about a year after they gained access, CNN reports. Thousands of stolen DNC documents were given to Wikileaks by an unidentified source, and several were published over the weekend, with officials expecting more data to be released soon. A source tells CNN the DNC was given warnings from the FBI and other agencies that were not very specific and the extent of the problem wasn't clear.
The hackers are suspected of working for Russian intelligence, and the DNC breach took place at around the same time as hackings at the State Department and White House. While looking into those breaches, analysts from the National Security Agency found clues that led them to suspect the DNC's network had also been infiltrated. The Republican National Committee does not appear to have been hacked, and the FBI has been in contact with the RNC to discuss their security measures.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
The UK’s best Christmas pantosThe Week Recommends Dive into the festive cheer, even into the new year, with some traditional favourites and modern twists
-
The longevity economy is booming as people live longerThe Explainer The sector is projected to reach $27 trillion by 2030
-
Sudoku hard: December 11, 2025The daily hard sudoku puzzle from The Week
-
Judge orders release of Ghislaine Maxwell recordsSpeed Read The grand jury records from the 2019 prosecution of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein will be made public
-
Miami elects first Democratic mayor in 28 yearsSpeed Read Eileen Higgins, Miami’s first woman mayor, focused on affordability and Trump’s immigration crackdown in her campaign
-
Ex-FBI agents sue Patel over protest firingspeed read The former FBI agents were fired for kneeling during a 2020 racial justice protest for ‘apolitical tactical reasons’
-
Trump unveils $12B bailout for tariff-hit farmersSpeed Read The president continues to insist that his tariff policy is working
-
Trump’s Comey case dealt new setbackspeed read A federal judge ruled that key evidence could not be used in an effort to reindict former FBI Director James Comey
-
Moscow cheers Trump’s new ‘America First’ strategyspeed read The president’s national security strategy seeks ‘strategic stability’ with Russia
-
Trump tightens restrictions for work visasSpeed Read The length of work permits for asylum seekers and refugees has been shortened from five years to 18 months
-
Supreme Court revives Texas GOP gerrymanderSpeed Read Texas Republicans can use the congressional map they approved in August at President Donald Trump’s behest
