The Clinton Foundation denied Thursday it was hacked following news reports that said the organization sought the help of a cybersecurity firm following a suspected breach.
“We have no evidence Clinton Foundation systems were breached and have not been notified by law enforcement of an issue,” an official with Bill and Hillary Clinton’s charitable group told Politico.
The official’s statement was made on the heels of a report published by Reuters late Wednesday that said the Clinton Foundation has contracted FireEye, a California-based security firm, after indications that it may have been hacked. Reuters cited multiple sources who spoke on condition of anonymity, including two described as being familiar with the organization’s hiring of FireEye.
FireEye said it was unable to discuss matters involving its clients when reached by IBTimes UK following the initial report’s publication.
According to Reuters, however, three sources said that the Clinton Foundation’s network appeared to be compromised by individuals who used “spear phishing” to sneak into its system. The tactic, which involves using trickery to gain access to privileged data, is believed to have also been used in recent hacks of the Democratic National Committee and other organizations tied to the party.
In the latest alleged breach, hackers reportedly used either “bogus emails or websites in an effort to gain access to Clinton Foundation staffers’ emails and then to the foundation itself,” Reuters reported.
U.S. officials have widely blamed Russia for a series of hacks waged against Democratic politicians and organizations in recent weeks, but has fallen short of formerly attributing the campaign to the Kremlin. Moscow has denied any role in the attacks.
Rep. Adam Schiff of California, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, last week acknowledged being briefed in 2015 about a cyber campaign being waged against various Democratic groups, but said he was unable to divulge further details, including any attribution.
“If this indeed turns out to be a cyberattack and leak conducted by a foreign actor to influence our elections, that would be a grave matter that should come with serious consequences,” he said in a statement. “That foreign actors may be trying to influence our election — let alone a powerful adversary — should concern all Americans of any party.”
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, a fundraising wing of the party that was recently revealed to have been hacked, held a closed-door meeting Wednesday concerning cybersecurity practices, Reuters reported.
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