CHICAGO (WLS) — As election season looms, federal cybersecurity experts have raised the alarm over a potentially far-reaching hacking campaign believed to be linked to Russia. This revelation has cast new doubts over the security of upcoming elections.

New intelligence suggests that Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and his counterparts are proactively strategizing to shield elections from various threats. The focus has been on countering foreign interference and battling disinformation, which could undermine democratic processes.

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This strategic meeting occurred just before a critical alert was released by federal cybersecurity officials. The alert addresses a new threat from FSB-16, an arm of Russia’s Federal Security Service, targeting vital infrastructure nationwide, from telecommunications to utilities and government systems.

“Desperate entities will take desperate measures,” noted Jake Braun, who leads the Cyber Policy Initiative at the University of Chicago. His statement captures the high stakes as international tensions escalate through cyberspace.

Braun also highlighted that recent advancements in artificial intelligence have exponentially enhanced the scope and sophistication of these cyberattacks, underscoring the urgent need for heightened vigilance and innovation in cybersecurity strategies.

“AI really puts that on overdrive … to send out hundreds of 1000s, millions, and millions of attacks all at once to millions of potential victims, whether they be small businesses, local governments, whatever,” Braun said. “And so that was possible before, but not with the level of sophistication and the level of reach that it is now.”

Braun, a former senior counselor to the secretary of Homeland Security, said the warning carries added significance because of Russia’s infiltration of the Illinois State Board of Elections in July 2016.

“So yes, absolutely, Russia is desperate right now. Ukraine has them on the ropes, and there’s no telling what they’re going to do in the midterms or any other time,” Braun said.

According to federal indictments against a dozen Russian operatives, cyber spies stole the names, addresses, dates of birth, driver’s license numbers and partial Social Security numbers of about half a million Illinois voters in the 2016 breach.

Illinois election officials have maintained that no votes were changed.

Election security efforts in Illinois are monitored through the Statewide Terrorism and Intelligence Center, or STIC, headquartered in Springfield. Among its responsibilities, the center monitors intelligence streams for evidence of foreign probes, tampering or cyberattacks targeting election systems.

Security experts said the campaign to dampen American confidence is unrelenting.

“They don’t care about our personal politics or anything,” Braun said. “They want to undermine American faith in our institutions and in our country, and the way they will go about doing that is undermining the infrastructure that underpins those institutions.”

Federal officials and cybersecurity experts continue to urge businesses, government agencies and other institutions to take steps to mitigate cyber threats as concerns over foreign interference and critical infrastructure security persist.

A tense 10-hour search concluded in Georgia on Tuesday with a bloodhound’s impressive skills leading deputies to capture a “dangerous” individual. This man was accused of shooting his child’s mother and then fleeing the scene by foot.

The Butts County Sheriff’s Office identified the suspect as 46-year-old Darian Berry Sr., a felon with a previous criminal record.

This domestic confrontation erupted on Tuesday morning in Flovilla, a small city situated about 50 miles south of Atlanta, according to authorities.

“Though he chose to flee, his efforts were futile against the relentless pursuit of law enforcement and the exceptional tracking capabilities of the bloodhounds, which ultimately facilitated his capture,” stated the sheriff’s office.

Deputies first responded to the scene following reports of a domestic incident involving Berry.

According to his charges, Berry allegedly attempted to confine or restrict his victim. He was also accused of arson and stalking.

As deputies arrived, Berry allegedly fled the scene on foot and was believed to be armed with a handgun, prompting a major search effort.

The Georgia community was further placed on a “Be On The Lookout” alert as authorities worked to locate the suspect.

Officials said the Georgia Department of Corrections K-9 Unit bloodhound played a key role in helping authorities locate Berry, who was taken into custody by Tuesday evening.

Berry now faces multiple charges, including aggravated assault, stalking, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, obstruction, two counts of arson, battery, family violence, and false imprisonment.

Eminem’s former spouse, Kim Scott, encountered legal troubles after reportedly being tased and detained by authorities following what is described as a suicide attempt.

According to police documents accessed by TMZ, Scott found herself in a highly agitated and confrontational state. Clad only in underwear and a bra, the incident unfolded at her residence in Michigan this past Saturday. When officers moved to restrain her with handcuffs, she allegedly resisted and bit an officer on the forearm.

In the heat of the moment, Scott is reported to have shouted at the officers, demanding they “get the f–k” out of her home.

After police deployed a taser, Scott retaliated by kicking an officer in the left shin. She subsequently faced arrest under charges of assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest.

The situation escalated to this point after a concerned family member dialed 911, prompting officers to respond to Scott’s residence.

“Caller says aunt cut her wrist and she’s bleeding,” a dispatcher told emergency responders, per audio obtained by the outlet.

“She’s currently sitting on the couch listening to music. The knife is in her hand, and she will not give it to the caller. Kim Mathers,” the person added. “She’s unconscious now. The caller was able to remove it.”

Scott — formerly Kim Mathers — was rushed to McLaren Macomb Hospital in Mount Clemens, Michigan, after the incident. Her current condition is still unknown.

The mother of three has attempted suicide twice before. In October 2015, she was involved in a single-vehicle accident in Macomb Township, Michigan. She later admitted that the incident was an intentional suicide attempt.

In July 2021, she was hospitalized after police received a phone call reporting a suicidal person at her home in Michigan. When officers arrived, she was allegedly so combative that she had to be restrained.

Scott, 51, has had recent run-ins with the law.

Page Six exclusively reported in June that a warrant was issued for Scott after she failed to appear in court for her DUI hearing.

A month prior, she was arrested and booked on a suspected DUI charge at Macomb County Jail in Mt. Clemens, Michigan.

Scott is known for her tumultuous relationship with Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Mathers. They first the knot in June 1999 and divorced in 2001.

But they reconciled and remarried in January 2006. However, just three months later, the “Lose Yourself” rapper filed for divorce. Their second divorce was finalized in December 2006.

The exes share their daughter, Hailie Jade, 30. They also adopted daughter Alaina, 33 — whose biological mother is Scott’s later twin sister Dawn, who died in 2016 of a suspected heroin overdose — and Stevie, 24, Kim’s child with her former partner Eric Hartter.

If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or text Crisis Text Line at 741741.