US official: Russia using social media to divide Americans

The US homeland security secretary has said there are no signs that Russia is targeting this year's mid-term elections with the same "scale or scope" it targeted the 2016 presidential election.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen spoke at a convention of state secretaries of state yesterday, an event that's usually a low-key affair highlighting voter registration, balloting devices and election security issues that don't get much public attention. But coming amid fresh allegations into Russia's attempts to sway the 2016 election, the sessions on election security have a higher level of urgency and interest.

Nielsen said her agency will help state and local election officials prepare their systems for cyber attacks from Russia or elsewhere. She said US intelligence officials are seeing "persistent Russian efforts using social media, sympathetic spokespeople and other fronts to sow discord and divisiveness amongst the American people, though not necessarily focused on specific politicians or political campaigns."