Jeff Sessions Announces New Cyber Task Force To Study Election Meddling
- 6 years ago
The Justice Department on Tuesday announced a new cyber task force.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Tuesday announced the creation of a Cyber-Digital Task Force at the Justice Department.
A news release states the new group "will canvass the many ways that the Department is combatting the global cyber threat, and will also identify how federal law enforcement can more effectively accomplish its mission in this vital and evolving area."
Among the many issues under its umbrella, the task force has been asked by Sessions "to prioritize its study of efforts to interfere with our elections; efforts to interfere with our critical infrastructure; the use of the Internet to spread violent ideologies and to recruit followers."
This report comes days after the announcement of indictments against Russian nationals for US election meddling.
Furthermore, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and others from the intelligence community recently issued a stark warning about Russia's motives.
"There should be no doubt that Russia perceives that its past efforts have been successful and views the 2018 midterm US elections as a potential target for Russian influence operations," Coats said last week at a hearing. "Frankly, the United States is under attack."
While the White House continues to insist that the Trump campaign did not collude with Russia for the 2016 election, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders did admit on Tuesday, "it's very clear that Russia meddled in the election."
Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Tuesday announced the creation of a Cyber-Digital Task Force at the Justice Department.
A news release states the new group "will canvass the many ways that the Department is combatting the global cyber threat, and will also identify how federal law enforcement can more effectively accomplish its mission in this vital and evolving area."
Among the many issues under its umbrella, the task force has been asked by Sessions "to prioritize its study of efforts to interfere with our elections; efforts to interfere with our critical infrastructure; the use of the Internet to spread violent ideologies and to recruit followers."
This report comes days after the announcement of indictments against Russian nationals for US election meddling.
Furthermore, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and others from the intelligence community recently issued a stark warning about Russia's motives.
"There should be no doubt that Russia perceives that its past efforts have been successful and views the 2018 midterm US elections as a potential target for Russian influence operations," Coats said last week at a hearing. "Frankly, the United States is under attack."
While the White House continues to insist that the Trump campaign did not collude with Russia for the 2016 election, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders did admit on Tuesday, "it's very clear that Russia meddled in the election."