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Georgia Accuses US of Trying to Hack its Election Systems

State of Georgia
Posted at 10:30 AM, Dec 09, 2016
and last updated 2016-12-09 10:30:00-05

WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. state of Georgia is accusing the Homeland Security Department of apparently trying to hack its election systems.

Georgia Secretary of State Brian P. Kemp said in a letter Thursday a computer traced back to the agency in Washington tried unsuccessfully to penetrate the state office's firewall one week after the presidential election.

Kemp sought details, including who might have authorized the activity and whether other states might have been scanned without authorization.

DHS is reviewing the letter and did not immediately comment.

Georgia was one of two states that did not accept the federal department's help to secure its election-related systems.

The letter says the system holds personal information on more than 6.5 million state residents.

Kemp sits on the DHS Election Infrastructure Cybersecurity Working Group.

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