Tech giant Microsoft warned Friday that Iran is stepping up its online activities to influence the upcoming US presidential election. According to Microsoft’s most recent risk report, Iranian cyber actors have introduced targeted phishing attacks against American political campaigns, created news sites, and impersonated American activists in an effort to sow discord among voters.
The report, published on Friday, notes several times in which Iranian teams connected to the Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have attempted to interfere in US electoral processes. One particularly alarming case concerned a phishing attack against a senior US presidential campaign official in June. The attackers used the hacked email account of a former senior advisor to hide his origins; Microsoft did not reveal which crusade was being targeted.
The cyberoffensive did not prevent it. The same organization also attempted to hack the account of a former presidential candidate, without success. Microsoft has since alerted the Americans involved, highlighting the sophistication and patience of the Iranian actors.
Beyond direct attacks on political figures, Iranian teams have worked to prepare the ground for broader influence operations. Microsoft’s report highlights the creation of fake news websites that mirror valid U. S. media but are designed to stoke the department among voters. These ads, designed to appeal to other political ideologies, spread inflammatory content aimed at deepening the partisan department. For example, one aimed at a left-wing audience disparaged former President Donald Trump, accusing him of erratic habits and drug use. Meanwhile, targeting conservative readers has focused on debatable issues such as LGBTQ rights and gender-affirming surgeries.
In another sign of the scale of those influence efforts, Iranian agents have also posed as U. S. activists, which could pave the way for more direct interference as elections approach. In addition, an Iranian organization allegedly compromised the account of a government worker in an undecided state in May; It’s unclear whether that violation was part of a broader election-related plan.
Iran’s United Nations project has denied any involvement in plans to interfere with or launch cyberattacks opposing US elections. However, the conclusions of the Microsoft report go beyond what US intelligence has leaked.
Heading into the November elections, the stakes are high: only Iran, but also Russia and China, are exploiting the growing political polarization in the United States.
(With contributions from agencies)
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