U.S. Homeland Security, thousands of businesses scramble after suspected Russian hack

FILE PHOTO: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson poses for a photo duringa meeting with Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (not pictured) at Downing Street in London, Britain December 10, 2020. Gareth Fuller/Pool via REUTERS

LONDON/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and thousands of businesses scrambled Monday to investigate and respond to a sweeping hacking campaign that officials suspect was directed by the Russian government.

Emails sent by officials at DHS, which oversees border security and defense against hacking, were monitored by the hackers as part of the sophisticated series of breaches, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters Monday.