An attempted hack into Georgia's voter registration database was traced back to the Department of Homeland Security, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.

A third-party security firm working for the state detected the unsuccessful breach and linked it to an IP address associated with DHS, the report said. Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp reportedly sent a letter to Homeland Security asking the department to confirm whether an attempt was made.

In his letter, The Wall Street Journal reported, Kemp asked the department to confirm whether a scan attempt was made, who authorized the scan and whether the department was scanning other state systems without authorization.



Leading up to the election, questions were raised about the security of state computer systems that protect voting data. Homeland Security reportedly considered declaring election systems as "critical infrastructure," which would have given the federal agency the authority to protect the systems. A spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security didn't immediately respond to the publication's request for comment.

Read the full report from The Wall Street Journal here.