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Microsoft uncovers more Russian hacking ahead of midterms

FILE- In this Dec. 30, 2006, file photo with the Capitol in the background, American flags fly at half-staff at the foot of the Washington Monument in Washington. Microsoft has uncovered new hacking attempts by Russia targeting U.S. political groups ahead of the midterm elections. The company said Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018, that a group tied to the Russian government created fake websites that appeared to spoof two American conservative organizations: the Hudson Institute and the International Republican Institute. Three other fake sites were designed to look as if they belonged to the U.S. Senate. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)
FILE- In this Dec. 30, 2006, file photo with the Capitol in the background, American flags fly at half-staff at the foot of the Washington Monument in Washington. Microsoft has uncovered new hacking attempts by Russia targeting U.S. political groups ahead of the midterm elections. The company said Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018, that a group tied to the Russian government created fake websites that appeared to spoof two American conservative organizations: the Hudson Institute and the International Republican Institute. Three other fake sites were designed to look as if they belonged to the U.S. Senate. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File) FILE- In this Dec. 30, 2006, file photo with the Capitol in the background, American flags fly at half-staff at the foot of the Washington Monument in Washington. Microsoft has uncovered new hacking attempts by Russia targeting U.S. political groups ahead of the midterm elections. The company said Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018, that a group tied to the Russian government created fake websites that appeared to spoof two American conservative organizations: the Hudson Institute and the International Republican Institute. Three other fake sites were designed to look as if they belonged to the U.S. Senate. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

By Associated Press 5 min read

Microsoft has uncovered new Russian hacking efforts targeting U.S. political groups ahead of the midterm elections.

The company said Tuesday that a group tied to the Russian government created fake websites that appeared to spoof two American conservative organizations: the Hudson Institute and the International Republican Institute. Three other fake sites were designed to look as if they belonged to the U.S. Senate.

photo FILE- In this July 9, 2018, file photo, the U.S. Capitol dome is seen in Washington. Microsoft has uncovered new hacking attempts by Russia targeting U.S. political groups ahead of the midterm elections. The company said Tuesday, Aug. 21, that a group tied to the Russian government created fake websites that appeared to spoof two American conservative organizations: the Hudson Institute and the International Republican Institute. Three other fake sites were designed to look as if they belonged to the U.S. Senate. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

Microsoft didn’t offer any further description of the fake sites, although it has previously outlined in court filings how this hacking group operated a network of fake sites designed to trick victims into installing malicious software.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said that Microsoft’s report reflects a “witch hunt” in the U.S. The ministry said Tuesday that Microsoft’s statement lacked any proof of Russian involvement because “there can’t be any.”

The revelation of new hacking efforts arrives just weeks after a similar Microsoft discovery led Sen. Claire McCaskill, a Missouri Democrat who is running for re-election, to reveal that Russian hackers tried unsuccessfully to infiltrate her Senate computer network.