[ISN] Hackers and Spending Sprees

http://www.newsweek.com/id/167581

Newsweek Web Exclusive
Nov 5, 2008

The computer systems of both the Obama and McCain campaigns were victims 
of a sophisticated cyberattack by an unknown "foreign entity," prompting 
a federal investigation, NEWSWEEK reports today.

At the Obama headquarters in midsummer, technology experts detected what 
they initially thought was a computer virus - a case of "phishing," a 
form of hacking often employed to steal passwords or credit-card 
numbers. But by the next day, both the FBI and the Secret Service came 
to the campaign with an ominous 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." The following day, Obama campaign chief David Plouffe heard 
from White House chief of staff Josh Bolten, to the same effect: "You 
have a real problem ... and you have to deal with it." The Feds told 
Obama's aides in late August that the McCain campaign's computer system 
had been similarly compromised. A top McCain official confirmed to 
NEWSWEEK that the campaign's computer system had been hacked and that 
the FBI had become involved.

[...]


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