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U.S. NEWS Friday 23 OctOber 2020
U.S.: Russian hackers targeting state, local networks

By ERIC TUCKER Despite that activity, Rus-
Associated Press sia is widely regarded in the
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. cybersecurity community
officials said Thursday that as the bigger threat to the
Russian hackers have tar- election.
geted the networks of The U.S. has said that Rus-
dozens of state and local sia, which interfered in the
governments in the United 2016 election by hack-
States in recent days, steal- ing Democratic email ac-
ing data from at least two counts, is interfering again
servers. The warning, less this year in part through a
than two weeks before the concerted effort to deni-
election, amplified fears of grate President Donald
the potential for tampering Trump's Democratic oppo-
with the vote and under- nent, Joe Biden.
mining confidence in the U.S. officials attribute the
results. activity to a state-spon-
The alert describes an on- sored hacking group vari-
slaught of recent activ- ously known as DragonFly
ity from Russian state-spon- and Energetic Bear in the
sored hacking groups in cybersecurity community.
recent days against state The group appears to have
and local networks, some been in operation since at
of which were successfully In this May 22, 2019 file photo, Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure least 2011 and is known to
compromised. Security Agency Director Christopher Krebs testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington. have engaged in cyberes-
Associated Press
The advisory from the FBI pionage on energy com-
and the Department of of elections data has been attacks on networks to im- port as their bigger coun- panies and power grid op-
Homeland Security's cyber- compromised. pede the voting process or terparts to fund security up- erators in the U.S. and Eu-
security agency functions "However, the actor may the production of spoofed grades. rope, as well as on defense
as a reminder of Russia's be seeking access to ob- websites or other faked U.S. officials warned at a and aviation companies.
potent capabilities and on- tain future disruption op- content aimed at causing hastily called news confer- Chris Krebs, director of
going interference in the tions, to influence U.S. voters to mistrust the results. ence Wednesday night Homeland Security's Cy-
election even after U.S. of- policies and actions, or to A broad concern, particu- that Russia and Iran had bersecurity and Infrastruc-
ficials publicly called out delegitimize (state and lo- larly at the local govern- obtained voting registra- ture Security Agency, said
Iran at a news conference cal) government entities," ment level, has been that tion information, though Thursday that the alert was
on Wednesday night. the advisory said. hackers could infiltrate a such data is sometimes issued in regards to scan-
The advisory does not men- U.S. officials have repeat- county network and then publicly accessible. But ning of county networks
tion any of the specific vic- edly said it would be ex- work their way over to elec- most of the focus of that for vulnerabilities, not spe-
tims who were targeted, tremely difficult for hack- tion-related systems unless event was on Iran, which cifically targeting the elec-
but officials say they have ers to alter vote tallies in a certain defenses, such as officials linked to a series of tions.
no information that any meaningful way, but they firewalls, are in place. This menacing but fake emails "There was access in a
election or government have warned about other is especially true for smaller aimed at intimidating vot- couple limited cases to an
operations have been af- methods of interference counties that don't have as ers in multiple battleground election related network,"
fected or that the integrity that could include cyber- much money and IT sup- states. he said.q

Santa Claus won’t be coming to Macy’s this year

By JOSEPH PISANI ning toy trains and elves in cy's differs from big mall
AP Retail Writer green costumes. owners, which will still go
NEW YORK (AP) — Macy's Santa also won't be show- ahead with in-person San-
said Santa Claus won't be ing up at its Chicago ta visits by banning kids
greeting kids at its flagship and San Francisco stores, from sitting on his lap and
New York store this year which have similar Santa- making sure they stay six
due to the coronavirus, lands. But he will still ap- feet away from him.
interrupting a holiday tra- pear at the end of the Macy's has been us-
dition started nearly 160 televised Macy's Thanks- ing Santa Claus to draw
years ago. giving Day parade, the crowds to its New York
More than a quarter of a company said. store since the early 1860s,
million people come to With the coronavirus still calling itself "The Home of
see Santa at Macy's in raging, stores and malls Santa Claus" for decades.
New York each year, the are having to rework their And Macy's had a starring
company said, making it typical holiday strategy, role in the 1947 film "Mira-
hard to create a safe en- which had been to pack cle on 34th Street," where Santa Claus waves during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day
vironment during a pan- as many people through a girl discovers the real Parade, Nov. 28, 2019, in New York.
demic. Before taking a its doors as possible. Santa inside the store. Associated Press
picture with the jolly old Walmart, for example, is Macy's will be offering a tual tour of Santa's work- the magic of Santa Claus
man, crowds walk in tight holding its Black Friday free online experience on shop and take a selfie with to children of all ages this
quarters through a maze- deals over four weeks, in- its website at the end of Santa. year," Macy's said in a
like Santaland that's filled stead of one day. November, where families "Moving to a virtual en- statement to The Associ-
with Christmas trees, run- But the decision by Ma- can play games, get a vir- gagement will safely bring ated Press. .q