Story highlights Russian hacks are a warning sign of things to come and the US better be prepared, writes Amy Zegart

US government needs to start attributing election-related breaches as fast as possible, she says

Amy Zegart is Co-Director and Senior Fellow at Stanford University's Center for International Security and Cooperation and a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution. The opinions expressed in this commentary are hers.

(CNN) Next month, America will elect a new president. Most likely there will be no cyber hanging-chad moment, no massive breach that calls into question election results or faith in the democratic process.

But it would be a mistake to breathe a collective sigh of relief on November 9th and conclude the danger is past. The danger is just beginning. The 2016 election is a warning of darker hacks to come.

Amy Zegart

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper recently announced what many cyber experts had long suspected: High-level Russian officials authorized hacks of the Democratic National Committee and other campaign-related sites.

JUST WATCHED Kasparov: Trump fertilizing ground for civil unrest after election Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Kasparov: Trump fertilizing ground for civil unrest after election 07:00

This is the first time a foreign power has inserted itself directly into an American presidential election. Russian President Vladimir Putin wasn't just probing our digital systems. He was probing our political response to see how far he could go to sow distrust in the most important cornerstone of any democracy: free and fair elections. Our response has not helped.

FBI Director James Comey has sought to reassure Americans that our decentralized voting system is just too "clunky" for one massive breach to affect the outcome. But sometimes small changes can have big effects. Lyndon Johnson's 1948 Senate victory hinged on a single sketchy precinct where he was popular with dead voters. The 2000 presidential election was decided by just 537 votes in Florida.

Read More