U.S. raises protection of election systems against cyber attacks

By Dustin Volz WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Friday designated U.S. election infrastructure as critical, widening the options the government has to protect voting machines from cyber attacks. The decision, announced in a statement by DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson, followed a 2016 presidential campaign marred by concerns that hackers could disrupt the election. Also on Friday, U.S. intelligence agencies released a report accusing Russian President Vladimir Putin o