By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com
As Russian hackers tried to hack into the personal Gmail accounts of dozens of U.S. officials, the FBI failed to provide a warning despite having at least a year’s worth of evidence that they were being targeted by the Kremlin.
Of nearly 80 Americans targeted by a Russian government-connected cyber-espionage group, Fancy Bear, only two officials were notified of the attack, the Associated Press has found.
“It’s utterly confounding,” said Philip Reiner, a former senior director at the National Security Council, who was notified by the AP that he was targeted in 2015. “You’ve got to tell your people. You’ve got to protect your people.”
The FBI declined to discuss cyber campaign, but provided a statement: “The FBI routinely notifies individuals and organizations of potential threat information.”
Among those targeted were the former head of cybersecurity for the U.S. Air Force, a former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, and an ex-director at the National Security Council.
The FBI knew about the hacking attempts for more than a year. A senior official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the number of attacks overwhelmed the bureau.
