U.S. bracing for possible Election Day cyber meddling: Reports

The U.S. government has taken unprecedented steps intended to prevent hackers from meddling in next week’s presidential election as federal officials brace for possible state-sponsored interference even after ballots are tallied.

At least 48 states have asked the Department of Homeland Security to probe their systems for bugs ahead of the Nov. 8 vote, Reuters reported Friday, the majority of them having sought assistance only in the month before Election Day.

Across the federal government, however, current and former officials told NBC News on Friday that agencies including the White House, National Security Agency, CIA and Defense Department are covertly playing roles as well in ensuring next week’s election isn’t sidelined by a cyberattack.

“The Russians are in an offensive mode and [the U.S. is] working on strategies to respond to that, and at the highest levels,” Michael McFaul, a former U.S. ambassador to Russia, told NBC News on Friday.

In the wake of the Obama administration accusing Russia last month of using computer hacks and email leaks to interfere in the election process, Washington has taken heightened steps to keep Moscow from meddling further.

Less than a week until Election Day, officials speaking on condition of anonymity said it’s still quite possible that hackers from Russia or elsewhere will wage a last-minute campaign less sophisticated than previous ones in an effort to interfere.

The Russians “want to sow as much confusion as possible and undermine our process in ways they’ve done elsewhere,” one senior Obama administration official told the network. “So this is to make sure that we have all the tools at our disposal and that we’re prepared to respond to whatever it is that they do.”

“We need to be prepared on every front, not just technical but messaging, and so on,” the official continued. “Because any reporting irregularity could be incredibly disruptive. … They can cause tremendous chaos, and by the time we are able to attribute, the damage may have already been done.”

Indeed, some officials believe state-sponsored hackers may continue to meddle in U.S. politics well after next week’s election, going as far as to purposely raise doubts about the legitimacy of the vote after ballots are tallied, Washington Post reported Thursday.

Despite who wins the Nov. 8 race, the U.S. “can expect a lot more of the same in terms of cyber-malevolence and influence” from Moscow, Rep. Adam Schiff, California Democrat and member of the House Intelligence Committee, told the Post.

The Obama administration said last month that U.S. intelligence officials believe the Russian government directed the compromise of Democratic National Committee emails and their subsequent publication by WikiLeaks.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied involvement, and WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange said Thursday that neither the DNC leaks nor correspondence recently stolen from the chairman of Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, John Podesta, came courtesy of a state actor.