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Macron Campaign Says It Was Target of ‘Massive’ Hacking Attack Macron Campaign Says It Was Target of ‘Massive’ Hacking Attack
(about 2 hours later)
PARIS — On the eve of the most consequential French election in decades, the staff of the presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron said on Friday evening that the campaign had been targeted by a “massive and coordinated” hacking operation, one with the potential to destabilize the nation’s democracy before voters go to the polls on Sunday. PARIS — On the eve of the most consequential French presidential election in decades, the staff of the centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron said late Friday that the campaign had been targeted by a “massive and coordinated” hacking operation, one with the potential to destabilize the nation’s democracy before voters go to the polls on Sunday.
The hacking, which involved a dump of campaign documents, including emails and accounting records, emerged hours before a legal prohibition on campaign communications went into effect — a prohibition that makes it extremely difficult for Mr. Macron to mitigate any damaging fallout before the runoff election, in which he faces the far-right candidate Marine Le Pen. The hacking, which involved a dump of campaign documents, including emails and accounting records, emerged hours before a legal prohibition on campaign communications went into effect. While the leak may have little effect, the timing makes it extremely difficult for Mr. Macron to mitigate any damaging fallout before the runoff election, in which he faces the far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, who has pledged to pull France out of the euro and hold a referendum to leave the European Union.
The hacking immediately evoked comparisons to the United States election, in which American intelligence agencies concluded that Russia’s president, Vladimir V. Putin, had ordered an “influence campaign” to interfere with the election to benefit the Republican nominee, Donald J. Trump. The hacking immediately evoked comparisons to November’s election in the United States, during which American intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia’s president, Vladimir V. Putin, ordered an “influence campaign” to benefit the Republican nominee, Donald J. Trump. Groups linked to Russia have been accused of trying to hack the Macron organization.
In a statement, the Macron campaign said, “Intervening in the final hour of the official campaign, this operation is clearly a matter of democratic destabilization, as was seen in the United States during the last presidential campaign.” In a statement, the Macron campaign said the hackers had mixed fake documents along with authentic ones, “to sow doubt and misinformation.”
It said that the hackers had mixed fake documents along with authentic ones, “to sow doubt and misinformation.” “Intervening in the final hour of the official campaign, this operation is clearly a matter of democratic destabilization, as was seen in the United States during the last presidential campaign,” the statement said.
Earlier on Friday evening, Ms. Le Pen’s campaign staff said that its website had faced “regular and targeted” attacks during the campaign. Earlier on Friday, Ms. Le Pen’s campaign staff said its website also had faced “regular and targeted” attacks during the campaign.
It also said that the French authorities had investigated the attacks and this week arrested “a first hacker” who was “close to extreme-left circles” and who had admitted to being responsible for several attacks on Ms. Le Pen’s campaign website. The arrest occurred on French soil, the statement said. It also said that the French authorities had investigated the attacks and, this week, arrested a suspect who was “close to extreme-left circles” and who had admitted to being responsible for several attacks on Ms. Le Pen’s campaign website. The arrest occurred on French soil, the statement said.
Unlike Mr. Macron, however, it did not appear that Ms. Le Pen’s campaign documents had been stolen. Unlike Mr. Macron, however, it did not appear that Ms. Le Pen’s campaign documents had been compromised. The authorities did not immediately confirm the Le Pen camp’s account.
The Macron campaign said that the documents were obtained several weeks ago after the personal and professional emails of staff members at En Marche, his political movement, were hacked. The Macron campaign said the documents leaked on Friday were stolen several weeks ago after the personal and professional emails of staff members at En Marche, his political movement, were hacked.
A report by a cybersecurity firm published on April 24 had said that Mr. Macron had been targeted by what appeared to be the same Russian operatives responsible for hacks of Democratic campaign officials before last year’s American presidential election. It was not the first known hacking attempt of Mr. Macron’s campaign. In April, a report by the cybersecurity firm Trend Micro said there was evidence that the campaign had been targeted in March by what appeared to be the same Russian operatives responsible for hacks of Democratic campaign officials before last year’s American presidential election. Mr. Macron’s campaign said the attempt was unsuccessful.
Security researchers at the firm, Trend Micro, said that on March 15 they spotted a hacking group they believed to be a Russian intelligence unit target Mr. Macron’s campaign — sending emails to campaign officials and others with links to fake websites designed to bait them into turning over passwords. Trend Micro said the attack attempt involved sending emails to campaign officials and others with links to fake websites designed to bait them into turning over passwords.
But the statement by Mr. Macron’s campaign on Friday night did not make it clear whether the hackers identified by Trend Micro were the same ones behind the latest attack. In the attack reported on Friday, Vitali Kremez, the director of research at Flashpoint, a business risk intelligence company in New York, said he suspected the involvement of a Russian-linked espionage operation known as APT28. “The key goals and objectives of the campaign appear to be to undermine Macron’s presidential candidacy and cast doubt on the democratic electoral process in general,” he said.
“If indeed driven by Moscow, this leak appears to be a significant escalation over the previous Russian operations aimed at the U.S. presidential election, expanding the approach and scope of effort from simple espionage efforts towards more direct attempts to sway the outcome,” Mr. Kremez added.
Security researchers who have been tracking APT28, also known as Fancy Bear, say it has been moving aggressively against NATO members and a variety of Western targets using various hacking tools, including so-called spear-phishing attacks, but also through the exploitation of vulnerabilities in technologies that allow Russian hackers to invade their targets undetected by security software.
The security researchers, who asked for anonymity to discuss an investigation, say they believe APT28 has previously passed stolen information taken from breached accounts to another Russian group. It is that second group of Russian cybercrimals that, in other instances, has published leaked information, security experts say, in large part to distance Russian intelligence operatives from the hacks and maintain a measure of plausible deniability.
The security officials could not say if the theft of the Macron campaign documents was carried out in this manner.
Candidates and their staff are prohibited by French electoral rules to campaign from midnight on Friday until the last polls close on Sunday, at 8 p.m. — meaning that they cannot give interviews in the news media, hold rallies, make speeches or issue statements.Candidates and their staff are prohibited by French electoral rules to campaign from midnight on Friday until the last polls close on Sunday, at 8 p.m. — meaning that they cannot give interviews in the news media, hold rallies, make speeches or issue statements.
The Macron campaign made its statement at 11:56 p.m. — four minutes before the legal prohibition on campaigning went into effect. The Macron campaign made its statement about the hacking at 11:56 p.m. — four minutes before the legal prohibition on campaigning went into effect.
Numerama, a French online publication focusing on digital life, said that the hacked material appeared to have been disseminated through users of 4Chan, an online bulletin board. They shared nine gigabytes worth of documents and emails — “a jumble of what appears to be the contents of a hard drive and several emails of co-workers and En Marche political officials.”Numerama, a French online publication focusing on digital life, said that the hacked material appeared to have been disseminated through users of 4Chan, an online bulletin board. They shared nine gigabytes worth of documents and emails — “a jumble of what appears to be the contents of a hard drive and several emails of co-workers and En Marche political officials.”
“It will take to time to sift through it all, but at first glance, they seem to be utterly mundane,” Numerama said after analyzing the data. “One finds memos, bills, loans of amounts that are hardly over-the-top, recommendations and other reservations, amidst, of course, exchanges that are strictly personal and private — personal notes on the rain and sunshine, a confirmation email for the publishing of a book, reservation of a table for friends, etc.” “It will take to time to sift through it all, but at first glance, they seem to be utterly mundane,” Numerama said after analyzing the data. “One finds memos, bills, loans for amounts that are hardly over-the-top, recommendations and other reservations, amidst, of course, exchanges that are strictly personal and private — personal notes on the rain and sunshine, a confirmation email for the publishing of a book, reservation of a table for friends, etc.”
Some of the documents did not appear to have any link to Mr. Macron, Numerama reported.Some of the documents did not appear to have any link to Mr. Macron, Numerama reported.
The National Commission for Control of the Electoral Campaign, a regulatory body, said it was contacted by the Macron campaign on Friday night. The commission, which planned to meet on Saturday about the hacking, urged the news media to refrain from reporting on stolen information. The National Commission for Control of the Electoral Campaign, a regulatory body, said it was contacted by the Macron campaign on Friday night. The commission, which planned to meet on Saturday about the hacking, urged the news media to be cautious its reporting.
“It therefore asks the media, and in particular their websites, not to report on the content of these data, recalling that the dissemination of false information is liable to fall within the scope of the law — in particular criminal law,” the commission said.“It therefore asks the media, and in particular their websites, not to report on the content of these data, recalling that the dissemination of false information is liable to fall within the scope of the law — in particular criminal law,” the commission said.
The Macron campaign appealed to journalists not to do the hackers’ bidding by widely publicizing the emails. The Macron campaign appealed to journalists to not do the hackers’ bidding by widely publicizing the contents of the emails.
“We call upon the news outlets that wish to report on this operation to shoulder their responsibilities, in all good conscience,” the campaign said. “Indeed, this is not a simple hacking operation but well and truly an attempt to destabilize the French presidential election. It is therefore important to consider the nature of the leaked documents, to be fully aware of the fact that a large part of them are purely and simply fake, and the appropriateness of giving an echo to this destabilization operation.”“We call upon the news outlets that wish to report on this operation to shoulder their responsibilities, in all good conscience,” the campaign said. “Indeed, this is not a simple hacking operation but well and truly an attempt to destabilize the French presidential election. It is therefore important to consider the nature of the leaked documents, to be fully aware of the fact that a large part of them are purely and simply fake, and the appropriateness of giving an echo to this destabilization operation.”
Gérard Araud, the French ambassador to Washington, said of the attack: “It was to be expected. The last-ditch offensive benefiting a candidacy favored by a foreign government.” Gérard Araud, the French ambassador to Washington, said of the attack, in a tweet that was later deleted: “It was to be expected. The last-ditch offensive benefiting a candidacy favored by a foreign government.”
Ms. Le Pen’s campaign was not gloating, but one of her top allies, Florian Philippot, the vice president of the National Front, asked: “Will the #Macronleaks learn things that investigative journalism has deliberately killed,” referring to his argument that the mainstream news media has been biased against Ms. Le Pen. “Scary, this democratic shipwreck.” One of Ms. Le Pen’s top allies, Florian Philippot, the vice president of her party, the National Front, asked: “Will the #Macronleaks learn things that investigative journalism has deliberately killed,” referring to his argument that the mainstream news media has been biased against Ms. Le Pen. “Scary, this democratic shipwreck.”
Mr. Macron, 39, an independent centrist and a former economy minister who is making his first run for elected office, has been favored in the polls over Ms. Le Pen, 48, a lawyer and political heir to the movement her father, now estranged, founded in 1972. Mr. Macron, 39, an independent centrist and a former economy minister who is making his first run for elected office, has been favored in the polls over Ms. Le Pen, 48, a lawyer and political heir to the National Front movement her father, now estranged, founded in 1972. The party has taken strong stands against immigration, globilization and the European Union.
On Wednesday, the two candidates confronted each other head-to-head in a vicious debate that more resembled an American-style shoutfest than the Descartian discourse that French voters are more accustomed to. Ms. Le Pen, who was relentless in her attacks, was widely judged the loser. The two candidates confronted each other Wednesday night in a vicious debate that more resembled an American-style shoutfest than the Descartian discourse that French voters are more accustomed to. Ms. Le Pen, who was relentless in her attacks, was widely judged the loser.
A post-debate poll, by the firm Ipsos — which was very accurate in its projections before the first round of the elections on April 23 — found Mr. Macron’s lead over Ms. Le Pen had widened, 63 percent to 37 percent.A post-debate poll, by the firm Ipsos — which was very accurate in its projections before the first round of the elections on April 23 — found Mr. Macron’s lead over Ms. Le Pen had widened, 63 percent to 37 percent.
But Ms. Le Pen could benefit on Sunday if poor and disaffected suburban voters stay home, or if on-the-fence voters who are unenthusiastic about their choices decide to abstain. But Ms. Le Pen could benefit on Sunday if poor and disaffected suburban voters do not cast ballots or if on-the-fence voters who are unenthusiastic about their choices decide to abstain.