Cyber attackers could launch a “nightmarish” assault on the US when the country goes to the polls on November 8, security experts have warned.

As the the final days of the campaign rattle past and the US presidential race of 2016 nears its crescendo, experts have warned that the high profile hacks and accusations of fraud could be far from over.

Fears that the election will be the target of a cyber attack have been heightened in the last fortnight by two major assaults online, which took down hundreds of popular websites, including Netflix and eBay, as well as Liberia's entire internet.