Russian hackers breached voter databases in Arizona and Illinois

WASHINGTON — The FBI has uncovered evidence that hackers breached two state voter databases in June and July.

Yahoo News reported that the hackers accessed databases in Arizona and Illinois, in the process gaining access to voter names, addresses, identification numbers, and other information.

According to NBC, the hackers are believed to be based in Russia, and linked to Russian intelligence, fueling concerns that Putin and his government are trying to interfere in the November 8 presidential elections.

The cyber attack targeted Arizona in June, infecting a county official’s computer with malware and posting his username and password online. The credentials allowed access to localized records, but not to the statewide system, so no data was compromised.

Illinois was not so fortunate. In mid-July, hackers accessed the state electoral board’s database and downloaded up to 200,000 voter records.

Both states had to shut down their voter registration systems after the hack.

Reuters reports that the FBI’s cyber security division has yet to determine whether systems in other states have been similarly compromised.