FBI probing possible Russian hack of US newsrooms: CNN

Hackers with apparent ties to Russia have conducted a series of cyber attacks on US media outlets including the New York Times, CNN reported Tuesday.

The FBI and other US law enforcement agencies are examining the breaches, US officials told CNN, and investigators believe Russian intelligence is likely to be behind the hacks.

The FBI did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and a New York Times spokeswoman did not confirm the investigation to CNN.

According to CNN, investigators think the latest hacks are part of a broader of series of attacks that also targeted Democratic Party organizations.

Hillary Clinton's campaign has accused Moscow of hacking into Democratic National Committee emails.

CNN said Russian hackers are also believed to be attempting cyber attacks on Washington's many think tanks, which frequently employee former government officials to provide expert analysis on national security issues.

Cyber vulnerabilities have become something of a crisis in the US government.

The head of the Office of Personnel Management was last year forced to resign after her agency suffered a massive hack—which many suspect originated in China—that affected a staggering 21.5 million people.

Even America's top cyber snooping organization, the National Security Agency, is in the midst of a hacking scandal in which it appears some of its top secret code was leaked or stolen.

© 2016 AFP