The Democratic National Committee suffered a hack of its network, the organization said in June. The breach was widely attributed to Russian hackers by the cybersecurity firm that helped remediate the hack but now, after thousands of emails were dumped on WikiLeaks on July 22 the FBI is getting involved.

The nation's top law enforcement agency confirmed July 25 that it is investigating the breach.

"The FBI is investigating a cyber intrusion involving the DNC and are working to determine the nature and scope of the matter," the bureau said in a statement. "A compromise of this nature is something we take very seriously and the FBI will continue to investigate and hold accountable those who pose a threat in cyberspace."

Hackers released just shy of 20,000 emails and more than 8,000 attachments in the first of what WikiLeaks is calling its "Hillary Leaks series."

The emails reveal conversations between seven top DNC officials from January 2015 to May 2016.

"The timing of the release, on the eve of the DNC convention points to someone with an anti-Democratic Party agenda: Independents, Russia and the RNC are just a few that come to my mind," said Justin Harvey, chief security officer for Fidelis Cybersecurity. "If it proves true that Russia not only compromised the DNC but is actively using this information to influence the U.S. presidential election, that would be a red line that we have not witnessed when it comes to cybersecurity. It would be similar to the North Korean hack of Sony where they actually caused physical destruction at a private U.S. company."

The political fallout from the leaks was almost immediate, with DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., stating Sunday that she planned to resign from her chairmanship after the convention, then facing a torrent of boos on Monday as she attempted to address convention delegates in Florida.

"I look forward to serving as a surrogate for [Clinton's] campaign in Florida and across the country to ensure her victory," Wasserman Schultz said in a statement, as reported by the New York Times. "Going forward, the best way for me to accomplish those goals is to step down as party chair at the end of this convention."

According to security experts like Tim Erlin, senior director of IT Security and Risk Management for Tripwire, candidates should expect these kinds of breaches at all times, let alone during an election year.

"If you're part of the political process, especially during a hotly contested election, it's safest to just assume that your emails aren't private," Erlin said after learning of the FBI investigation. "It's possible to take measures to protect email contents through encryption, but it takes a fair amount of effort. Few systems are foolproof and few organizations make the investment to employ consistent encryption. From private servers to hacked email, this presidential election has thrown technology and cybersecurity to the forefront."

Aaron Boyd is an awarding-winning journalist currently serving as editor of Federal Times — a Washington, D.C. institution covering federal workforce and contracting for more than 50 years — and Fifth Domain — a news and information hub focused on cybersecurity and cyberwar from a civilian, military and international perspective.

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