What you need to know
- The presidential campaign of former President Donald Trump shared that it had been hacked by “foreign sources hostile to the United States.”
- The campaign suggested that Iran was involved in the hack, though Iran denied any involvement.
- Claims of Iran’s involvement come just days after Microsoft published a report about several Iranian groups attempting to influence the US presidential election.
As a seasoned researcher with a decade of experience in cybersecurity and geopolitics, I find myself increasingly alarmed by the persistent attempts to manipulate democratic processes, especially within the United States. The latest revelations about Iranian groups targeting the 2024 US presidential election are yet another chilling example of this trend.
As a tech enthusiast, I’ve come across some intriguing insights recently. It appears that certain groups within Iran have been attempting to impact the 2024 U.S. presidential election, according to a report by Microsoft and a subsequent blog post from them. The campaign of former President Donald Trump seems to be referring to this Microsoft report, implying that these efforts might be connected to the recent hacking incident experienced by their campaign, as reported by the Associated Press.
Microsoft’s report highlights four distinct Iranian entities suspected of meddling in the U.S. presidential election. The Trump campaign’s latest allegations point towards an organization tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), who allegedly sent a phishing email to a previous senior advisor of the Trump campaign and a high-level official within the campaign. This cyber-attack functioned by directing traffic through a domain owned by the Iranian group before reaching its intended destination.
Trump campaign representative, Steven Cheung, stated that the assault was orchestrated by foreign entities who are adversarial towards the U.S.
Iran refutes the allegations, telling the Associated Press, “We don’t give any validity to these claims. The Iranian administration neither has nor intends to meddle in the U.S. presidential election.”
One of many attacks
In June, the Trump campaign highlighted a cyberattack known as spear phishing. However, it’s important to note that other cyber incidents linked to Iranian hacker groups have also been reported in relation to the 2024 U.S. presidential election, according to Microsoft.
Over the past few weeks, Iranian government-linked entities have increased their activities in two main areas, according to Microsoft. Initially, they’ve been preparing for election-related influence operations focusing on popular topics and have started implementing these operations with the aim of causing controversy or influencing voter opinions, particularly in crucial swing states. Additionally, they’ve carried out actions that Microsoft believes are intended to gather intelligence about political campaigns and establish a foundation for future election manipulation.
As reported by Microsoft, a group originating from Iran operates various news sites that span across different political viewpoints. One such site, Nio Thinker, is known to favor the left, and it referred to former President Trump as an “opioid-addled elephant causing chaos in the MAGA store” and a “crazy litigious dinosaur.”
An alternative news platform, Savannah Time, tends to lean towards conservative views and focuses on reporting stories concerning the LGBTQ+ community.
According to Microsoft, the websites designed by the Iranian group incorporate artificial intelligence and contain a degree of copying from other sources.
Another Iranian faction has been active since March, and Microsoft suspects this group could be preparing actions that might escalate to threats, harassment, or instigation of violence against political figures or organizations. The objective seems to be creating chaos, weakening authority, and casting doubt on the credibility of elections.
The third group mentioned earlier, linked to the IRGC, was the one who sent out the spear-phishing email in June.
Microsoft reported that the last group consisted of a county-level government worker from a key state. This group gained access to just one account, but their objectives remain unclear to Microsoft. The group has been observed gathering information in fields like defense, healthcare, and satellite technology, as stated in the Microsoft report.
Microsoft clarified that they make their threat reports accessible to potential employees, government entities, and political groups, ensuring all relevant parties stay informed about potential hazards. It’s important to note that Microsoft does not support any particular candidate or political party in this process.
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2024-08-13 15:39