Newsweek: Obama, McCain campaigns hacked by ‘foreign entity’

Obama, McCain campaigns hacked by ‘foreign entity’Newsweek is reporting that the computer systems of the campaigns of both Barack Obama and John McCain were compromised in a “sophisticated cyberattack” by an unknown “foreign entity.”

At Obama headquarters, what was originally believed to be a virus planted in a phishing attack turned out to something more ominous. After an investigation, the FBI and Secret Service issued a dire warning:

  • You have a problem way bigger than what you understand,” an agent told Obama’s team. “You have been compromised, and a serious amount of files have been loaded off your system.”

[ SEE: Obama looking for help thwarting Web site hackers ]
Newsweek reported that the FBI said the McCain campaign’s computer system had been similarly compromised.

  • Officials at the FBI and the White House told the Obama campaign that they believed a foreign entity or organization sought to gather information on the evolution of both camps’ policy positions—information that might be useful in negotiations with a future administration. The Feds assured the Obama team that it had not been hacked by its political opponents.

The FBI declined to comment for the Newsweek story.

[Source: zdnet]

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