DHS: Russian govt. tried to hack Oregon computer network

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has told Oregon’s election director that the Russian government tried to access a key computer network during the 2016 election, but failed.
 
Secretary of State Dennis Richardson said in a statement Friday the Department of Homeland Security said Oregon’s security measures thwarted Russian government attempts to access the Secretary of State computer network.

Richardson credited the network security program with thwarting the Russian government’s alleged hacking attempt.
 
Deb Royal, a spokeswoman for Richardson, said a DHS official advised Oregon Elections Director Steven Trout about the development Friday during a brief phone call.

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Richardson’s news release:

SALEM, OR — Today, Oregon Secretary of State received confirmation from the Department of Homeland Security that Oregon’s security measures thwarted Russian government attempts to access the Secretary of State computer network during the 2016 general election.

“We block upwards of 14 million attempts to access our network every day,” said Chief Information Security Officer Lisa Vasa. “These attempts come from all over the world, including Russia, with the largest number from the US.”

Secretary of State Dennis Richardson added, “We are proud of our team. The fact that DHS confirmed that we had no Russian intrusions is a testament to the strength of the network security program we have in place.”