Iranian state-backed hackers targeting US Political Campaigns, undermine elections, says Microsoft

Microsoft Corp. recently disclosed that a hacking group tied to the Iranian government attempted to infiltrate the email accounts of US presidential campaign staffers in an effort to gather intelligence ahead of the upcoming election.

The cyber attackers, believed to be linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), launched a phishing attempt in June using a compromised email address from a former political adviser to target a high-ranking presidential campaign official, as per a report by Bloomberg.

Microsoft identified this group as “Mint Sandstorm,” which also attempted, unsuccessfully, to access the account of a former presidential candidate. The specific identities of the targets were not disclosed in the report.

In addition to these direct cyberattacks, Iranian groups have been using artificial intelligence to create and spread online content designed to inflame political tensions. This includes derogatory posts about former President Donald Trump and incendiary commentary on contentious issues like gender reassignment surgery.

Microsoft’s Threat Analysis Center also reported that since March, these Iranian groups have been gearing up to launch influence operations aimed at undermining trust in the US electoral process. These operations have involved the creation of fake media outlets and the dissemination of polarizing messages on topics such as presidential candidates and Israel’s conflict with Hamas.

The revelations from Microsoft are part of a broader pattern of foreign interference in US elections, with similar efforts being noted from Russia and China. In July, US intelligence officials warned that these countries, along with Iran, were enlisting individuals within the United States to propagate propaganda. The Iranian government, however, has denied any involvement in these activities.

This is not the first time Iranian hackers have targeted US elections. In 2020, operatives posed as members of the right-wing group Proud Boys in a voter intimidation scheme, leading to charges against two individuals.

That same year, Iranian hackers also breached a US municipal government’s election results website, although they were apprehended before they could cause any harm. The persistence of such threats highlights the ongoing risks posed by state-sponsored hacking groups to the integrity of US political processes.

In a related development, the US State Department recently identified six Iranian hackers accused of compromising industrial control systems used by American public utilities, further underscoring the cyber capabilities and intentions of Iranian state actors.