Iranian Hackers Target High-Ranking US Campaign Official, Microsoft Reports
In a significant development in the ongoing cyber threats surrounding the upcoming US presidential election, Microsoft researchers revealed on Friday that hackers linked to the Iranian government attempted to break into the account of a “high-ranking official” associated with a US presidential campaign in June. This breach followed an earlier incident in May where a county-level US official’s account was compromised.
The Iranian groups behind these breaches are believed to be tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to the report. The attack on the campaign official involved a spear-phishing email sent by an IRGC intelligence unit, while the county-level breach was part of a broader “password spray operation,” a common hacking tactic involving the mass use of commonly leaked passwords.
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While the hackers were unsuccessful in accessing further accounts through these breaches, the attempts underscore Iran’s increasing efforts to influence the US election process. Microsoft also noted that another Iranian group had been operating covert news sites, including Nio Thinker and Savannah Time, targeting US voters from both ends of the political spectrum. These sites, which used artificial intelligence to mimic legitimate news content, were part of a broader strategy to sow political discord in the United States.
Iran’s mission to the United Nations denied any involvement in cyber attacks, claiming their cyber capabilities were purely defensive. However, the recent activities highlighted by Microsoft’s report have raised concerns about the potential for foreign interference in the US elections.
