Are Hackers Targeting The Trump, Clinton Campaigns?

These days, it looks like even a presidential campaign can’t escape the threat of cyberattacks.

Reuters reported on Wednesday (May 18) that Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said hackers looking to act on espionage or just make a political statement may target U.S. presidential campaigns.

“We’re aware that campaigns and related organizations and individuals are targeted by actors with a variety of motivations — from philosophical differences to espionage — and capabilities — from defacements to intrusions,” Clapper’s spokesman said in a statement.

Though Clapper did not provide details on specific incidents or threats, he did confirm that the U.S. intelligence community “had some indications” of hacking attempts made towards presidential campaigns.

“As the campaign intensifies, we’ll probably have more” attacks, Clapper added at an event at the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington, Reuters reported.

A source told Reuters that some congressional committees have already been briefed on specific hacking efforts that have taken place against campaigns due to their severity.

In a statement, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), the top Democrat on the House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said:

“Given the intense scrutiny paid to the 2016 campaign and the broad implications for U.S. foreign policy, it’s no surprise that actors are launching cyberattacks against presidential campaigns.”

Clapper explained that the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI are educating “both campaigns” — likely the campaigns of frontrunners Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton — about the potential cyberthreats.