FBI Looks into Democratic Officials’ Mobile Phones Hack

The FBI wants to examine the mobile phones of Democratic Party officials to determine whether they have been hacked, according to reports.

Reuters reported the bureau asked the suspected hack victims to image their devices—create a copy of the device and data—so investigators could search for evidence of malware. A compromised phone would allow access to everything on it, including texts, contact lists and emails. Only a "small number" of officials may been affected, the report said. 

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Investigators haven’t determined whether this is a new breach or linked to the Democratic National Committee breach revealed in July, which many attribute to Russian intelligence groups, a CNN report said.

Politicians continue debating whether Russia is trying to influence the November presidential election and what steps the U.S. should take if it is. In Monday’s presidential debate, Democratic Hillary Clinton assigned blame on recent hacks to Russia while Republican nominee Donald Trump suggested it was China or “someone sitting on their bed that weighs 400 pounds.”

Yesterday Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson testified 18 states have accepted DHS assistance to securing election equipment after reported attacks on databases in Arizona and Illinois.