Russian hackers tried – and failed – to get past security defenses on the computer networks of the Republican National Committee, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday night.
Only a single email account linked to a long-departed RNC staffer was targeted in the failed breach, the Journal reported, citing unnamed sources.
According to the Journal, analysts now believe what began as a data-gathering campaign aimed at both parties later focused on leaked emails about Hillary Clinton and Democrats.
The Journal, citing two unnamed officials, reported hackers sent so-called phishing emails last spring to an email address at the RNC, but they were quarantined by a filter meant to detect spam, as well as potentially malicious traffic, that might carry viruses or trick recipients into divulging passwords.
A third unnamed source told the Journal that RNC staff members did not realize they had been the target of spies until June – after DNC officials had revealed the breach in their computer system.
According to the Journal, concerned RNC officials then called a private computer security firm, which in turn called the FBI and obtained information about what kinds of malicious emails to look for.
An RNC inspection found electronic filters had blocked emails sent to a former employee.
"It would be naive [for Republicans] to think they weren't targeted," Michael Buratowski, a senior vice president at Fidelis Cybersecurity, which examined the DNC breach and attributed it to the Russian hackers, told the Journal.
"It doesn't surprise me at all that they were gone after."
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