AFP, Moscow :
Russia was the target of almost 25 million cyber-attacks during the World Cup, President Vladimir Putin said, though he did not indicate who may have been behind the attacks.
“During the period of the World Cup, almost 25 million cyber-attacks and other criminal acts on the information structures in Russia, linked in one way or another to the World Cup, were neutralised,” Putin said during a meeting on Sunday with security services.
The president, whose comments were reported by the Kremlin on Monday, gave no information on the nature or possible origins of the cyber-attacks.
“Behind this (World Cup) success lies huge preparatory, operational, analytical and information work, we operated at maximum capacity and concentration,” said Putin.
Russia, which hosted the World Cup from June 14 to July 15 in 11 cities and 12 stadiums, has been repeatedly accused by Western countries of conducting cyber-attacks.
On Friday, 12 Russian military intelligence officers were charged with hacking Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign and the Democratic Party in a stunning indictment three days before President Donald Trump meets with Putin in Helsinki on Monday.
The charges were drawn up by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, the former FBI director who is looking into Russian interference in the November 2016 vote and whether any members of Trump’s campaign team colluded with Moscow.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump has said he may ask Vladimir Putin during their upcoming summit meeting to extradite to the US 12 Russian intelligence officers accused of attempting to interfere with the 2016 presidential election.
Speaking in an interview with CBS Evening News conducted on Saturday ahead of his meeting with the Russian leader in Helsinki on Monday, the US president also sought to temper expectations about how much could be achieved.
Asked whether he would press Putin to send to the US members of the Russian military intelligence agency accused of hacking Hillary Clinton’s failed presidential campaign, he said: “Well, I might. I hadn’t thought of that. But I certainly, I’ll be asking about it, but again, this was during the Obama administration.
They were doing whatever it was during the Obama administration.”
Trump added his Republican Party had also been the target of Russian hacking efforts but had superior cyber security measures in place.
“I think the DNC (Democratic National Committee) should be ashamed of themselves for allowing themselves to be hacked,” he said. “They had bad defenses and they were able to be hacked. But I heard they were trying to hack the Republicans too.
But-and this may be wrong-but they had much stronger defenses.”
CNN reported in January last year that then-FBI Director James Comey told a Senate panel that “old emails” of the Republican National Committee had been the target of hacking-but the material was not publicly released-and there was no sign the current RNC or the Trump campaign had been successfully hacked.
The two presidents have shared personal bonhomie in the past, but beyond the alleged hacking of the US election, their countries are deeply divided on a host of other issues including Syria and Ukraine.
Russia was the target of almost 25 million cyber-attacks during the World Cup, President Vladimir Putin said, though he did not indicate who may have been behind the attacks.
“During the period of the World Cup, almost 25 million cyber-attacks and other criminal acts on the information structures in Russia, linked in one way or another to the World Cup, were neutralised,” Putin said during a meeting on Sunday with security services.
The president, whose comments were reported by the Kremlin on Monday, gave no information on the nature or possible origins of the cyber-attacks.
“Behind this (World Cup) success lies huge preparatory, operational, analytical and information work, we operated at maximum capacity and concentration,” said Putin.
Russia, which hosted the World Cup from June 14 to July 15 in 11 cities and 12 stadiums, has been repeatedly accused by Western countries of conducting cyber-attacks.
On Friday, 12 Russian military intelligence officers were charged with hacking Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign and the Democratic Party in a stunning indictment three days before President Donald Trump meets with Putin in Helsinki on Monday.
The charges were drawn up by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, the former FBI director who is looking into Russian interference in the November 2016 vote and whether any members of Trump’s campaign team colluded with Moscow.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump has said he may ask Vladimir Putin during their upcoming summit meeting to extradite to the US 12 Russian intelligence officers accused of attempting to interfere with the 2016 presidential election.
Speaking in an interview with CBS Evening News conducted on Saturday ahead of his meeting with the Russian leader in Helsinki on Monday, the US president also sought to temper expectations about how much could be achieved.
Asked whether he would press Putin to send to the US members of the Russian military intelligence agency accused of hacking Hillary Clinton’s failed presidential campaign, he said: “Well, I might. I hadn’t thought of that. But I certainly, I’ll be asking about it, but again, this was during the Obama administration.
They were doing whatever it was during the Obama administration.”
Trump added his Republican Party had also been the target of Russian hacking efforts but had superior cyber security measures in place.
“I think the DNC (Democratic National Committee) should be ashamed of themselves for allowing themselves to be hacked,” he said. “They had bad defenses and they were able to be hacked. But I heard they were trying to hack the Republicans too.
But-and this may be wrong-but they had much stronger defenses.”
CNN reported in January last year that then-FBI Director James Comey told a Senate panel that “old emails” of the Republican National Committee had been the target of hacking-but the material was not publicly released-and there was no sign the current RNC or the Trump campaign had been successfully hacked.
The two presidents have shared personal bonhomie in the past, but beyond the alleged hacking of the US election, their countries are deeply divided on a host of other issues including Syria and Ukraine.
