DNC hackers accused of broader campaign targeting think-tanks, lobbyists
(Worthy News) – The hackers believed to be responsible for recently breaching the Democratic National Committee also compromised computers used by law firms, lobbyists and others closely tied to the U.S. political system, Bloomberg reported Friday.
Citing a person familiar with investigations launched in response to the recent cyberattack, the report suggested that the DNC has hardly been hackers’ only political target as of late. In addition to the high-profile breach suffered by the Democratic Party, other attacks has been directed at various organizations, foundations and think tanks, including the Center for American Progress started by former Clinton administration chief of staff John Podesta.
Individuals told Bloomberg that nearly 4,000 different Google accounts were targeted over the course of more than seven months starting last October by hackers who attempted to gain access to privileged information using a tactic known as spear-phishing. By setting their sights on thousands of potential victims, the hackers likely then attempted to trick their targets into disclosing sensitive details or opening malicious attachments that could then be used to gather further information. [ Source ]