LAS VEGAS - The recent hack and leak operation targeted at the presidential campaign of former President Donald Trump has sparked concerns among experts and officials about the potential for more cyberattacks leading up to the November elections.

The news of the hack, which was revealed by POLITICO on Saturday, quickly spread throughout the DEF CON conference in Las Vegas - one of the largest gatherings of hackers in the world. At DEF CON's "Voting Village," where security researchers examine voting infrastructure for vulnerabilities, discussions emerged regarding not only the security of ballot-casting machines but also the potential risks for future campaigns.

Nicole Tisdale, a former director at the White House National Security Council, altered her planned panel discussion after learning about the hack. During her presentation, Tisdale warned the audience that this event could be a preview of similar hack and leak incidents in 2024. She urged everyone to be prepared for the possibility of continued efforts to undermine election systems.

Chris Krebs, the former director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, echoed these concerns on Saturday, stating that someone appears to be following the same playbook used in the 2016 elections. He emphasized the need to remain vigilant against attempts to provoke societal unrest and target election systems.

The hack involved the compromise of international communications documents, allegedly by foreign sources hostile to the United States, according to the Trump campaign. While the campaign attributed the breach to Iranian hackers, pointing to a report from Microsoft on Iranian cyber threats, the identity of the hackers has not been independently verified by POLITICO.

This is not the first time that presidential campaigns have fallen victim to such attacks. Experts immediately drew parallels to the hack and leak operation orchestrated by the Russian government against the campaign of then-Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in 2016. That operation involved the release of leaked emails and targeting of voter registration databases across multiple states.

Jake Braun, former acting deputy principal national cybersecurity director, expressed concern about the possibility of a repeat of 2016's hack and dump strategy. He emphasized the importance of both campaigns rejecting any form of hacking to prevent a recurrence of election interference.

The compromise of the Trump campaign has already triggered apprehension on Capitol Hill. Rep. Eric Swalwell, ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee's cyber subcommittee, stated that he expects to be briefed by federal agencies on the issue and plans to return to Washington, D.C., from the summer recess for this purpose. Swalwell emphasized the need for unity in condemning any foreign interference and cited the treatment of Secretary Clinton in 2016 as a stark contrast to be avoided.

Aware of the potential for such attacks, the Biden administration had previously issued a report warning about possible interference in the upcoming election by Russia, China, and Iran. Intelligence officials also confirmed that foreign hackers were probing U.S. voting systems. Mark Montgomery, senior director at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, highlighted that these three nations are actively seeking to destabilize the U.S. election process through cyber malicious activities, with the ultimate aim of undermining public trust in the democratic process.

As of now, it remains unclear whether the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has been in contact with the Trump campaign or if they will be involved in briefing lawmakers like Rep. Swalwell. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency declined to comment, referring POLITICO to the Justice Department, which did not respond to requests for comment.

The recent hack and leak operation on the Trump campaign serve as a troubling sign of potential cyberattacks that may continue to target election campaigns leading up to November. With foreign interference posing a threat to the democratic process, experts and officials stress the importance of unity in condemning such activities and bolstering the security of election systems.