Leaked information showed Russian intelligence tried to hack a U.S. voting Software Company days before the American elections in November 2016. The information was reported by The Intercept, which also revealed phishing attempts made by Russian Intelligence on 100 local U.S. election officials prior to the nationwide voting.
What are the details of the new Russian hacking report?
A confidential National Security Agency (NSA) document was reportedly obtained by The Intercept showing details of Russian hacking attempt against a major U.S. voting software company days before the November elections.
The report didn't provide actual proof that the hacking attempts had a major impact on the U.S. elections but only showed that Russia had the intention and means to conduct cyber attacks on the U.S. voting infrastructure.
The document definitively belies Putin's claim that Russia wasn't doing any hacking of the U.S. voting system. Though the leaked report was verified independently, the information it contains can serve as a foundation for a further inquest into Russian activities in the United States.
The leaked report was dated May 5, 2017, and it is now regarded by Trump's opposition to be major proof of a rigged election. However, some NSA officials urged caution on drawing conclusions based on the leaked document as it is not a definitive report.
Nevertheless, the revelation of such a document is sure to rattle many in the Trump administration into a defensive stance.
How will this information affect U.S. - Russian relationship?
Since U.S. President Trump came to office, his Russian ties became a major issue for the opposition. This is a fact that Trump isn't ashamed of, as he has regularly spoken highly of Russia and President, Vladimir Putin.
However, due to the hacking leaks after the election, Trump's ties with Russia is now something that is slowly being swept under the rug.
Trump's firing of former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn due to his Russian ties was one of the major events in the entire Russian hack controversy. Former CIA James Comey was fired next for his apparent probing into Trump's ties with Russia and now another leaked document surfaced showing Russian attempts to gain access into the U.S.
voting infrastructure. All of these show a deeper Russian controversy is still hidden.
What is the importance of strong U.S. - Russian ties?
Russia is a major force to content with in the Middle East. Russian support for Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad is a major hindrance for the United States who wish to topple this pro-Iranian government. Deteriorating ties with Russia means creating another enemy that will greatly complicate the ongoing crisis not only in the Middle East, but in Ukraine and in North Korea.
