Electoral security

US intelligence: Foreign hackers spying on campaigns

The United States sees evidence of hackers, possibly working for foreign governments, snooping on the presidential candidates, the nation's intelligence chief said Wednesday. Government officials are assisting the campaigns to tighten security as the race for the White House intensifies.

The activity follows the pattern set in the last two presidential elections. Hacking was rampant in 2008, according to U.S. intelligence officials, and both President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney were targets of Chinese cyberattacks four years later. Nevertheless, cyber experts say Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton's campaign networks aren't secure enough to eliminate the risk.

"We've already had some indications" of hacking, James Clapper, director of national intelligence, said Wednesday at the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington. He said the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security were helping educate the campaigns.