Self-proclaimed DNC hacker is promising journalists “exclusive materials”
The hacker Guccifer 2.0 is taking credit for breaching the DCCC.
Credit:
IDGNS
The hacker who claims to have breached the Democratic National Committee’s computers is now taking credit for hacking confidential files from a related campaign group.
Guccifer 2.0 alleged on Friday that he also attacked the servers of the Democractic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). He posted some of the purported files on his blog, and is promising journalists “exclusive materials” if they contact him directly.
Although Guccifer 2.0 claims to be a lone hacktivist, some security experts believe he’s actually a persona created by Russian government hackers who want to influence the U.S. presidential election.
Guccifer has dismissed any connection to Russia, but on Friday he said the upcoming U.S. elections were becoming a “farce,” in which voters are no longer playing a leading role.
“The big money bags are fighting for power today,” he wrote. “They are lying constantly and don’t keep their word.”
Guccifer’s latest target, the DCCC, is an official campaign arm of the Democratic Party. Last month, it also confirmed that it was recently hacked.
The DCCC has said the intrusion was similar to one that targeted the DNC. That breach, which came to light in June, involved sensitive files including opposition research on presidential candidate Donald Trump.
Security firms involved in the investigation have blamed the DNC breach on Russian state-sponsored hackers. U.S. intelligence officials are reportedly also confident Russia was behind the DNC breach, but the FBI is still investigating the matter.
Guccifer 2.0, however, claims to be Romanian. His latest internet post contains files he allegedly stole from the DCCC. It includes the personal contact info for House Democrats, in addition to passwords DCCC officials used to access certain websites.
“Here are some DCCC docs from their server. Make use of them,” Guccifer 2.0 said.
His Friday post also occurred on the same day that security firm ThreatConnect found new evidence possibly tying him to Russian state-sponsored hackers.
A separate hacktivist website called DCLeaks has also been posting files stolen from U.S. politicians, but Russian hackers and Guccifer 2.0 may actually be behind the site, according to ThreatConnect.
