US reveals details about Iran's attempts to influence presidential election
The FBI details attempts by Iranian hackers to influence the elections (photo: Getty Images)
Iranian-linked hacker groups sent emails this summer to individuals from Joe Biden’s campaign team containing excerpts of unpublished material from Donald Trump’s campaign. This effort was part of Tehran’s attempt to influence the election, according to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI).
The US agency notes that approximately a month after the joint public statement from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), the FBI, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) regarding Tehran’s election influence efforts, investigators learned additional details about Iran’s efforts to sow discord and shape the outcome of the US election.
"Iranian malicious cyber actors in late June and early July sent unsolicited emails to individuals then associated with President Biden’s campaign that contained an excerpt taken from stolen, non-public material from former President Trump’s campaign as text in the emails," ODNI reported.
It remains unclear whether recipients responded to these messages.
"Furthermore, Iranian malicious cyber actors have continued their efforts since June to send stolen, non-public material associated with former President Trump’s campaign to US media organizations," the article states.
The joint statement from ODNI, the FBI, and CISA highlights that this malicious cyber activity is the latest example of Iran’s multi-faceted approach, as noted in the joint August statement, aimed at fueling discord and undermining trust in our electoral process.
The FBI has been monitoring these activities, contacting victims, and continuing to investigate and gather information.
"Foreign actors are increasing their election influence activities as we approach November," the Bureau, intelligence, and cybersecurity organizations observed.
The FBI also states that Russia, Iran, and China are seeking to exploit divisions within American society for their own gain, and these countries view election periods as moments of vulnerability.
The joint statement from ODNI, the FBI, and CISA emphasizes that the efforts of these or other foreign actors to undermine American democratic institutions represent a direct threat to the country, and the US will not tolerate such actions.
What preceded this
In August, the US accused Iran of cyber operations targeting the campaigns of both presidential candidates and influence operations aimed at stirring political discord within the American public.
It was also reported that on August 11, Trump’s campaign claimed that their computers had been hacked.
Additionally, a Google report from June 13 detailed that Iran, as part of a prolonged phishing attack, targeted around a dozen individuals connected to Biden, Harris, and Trump.
Later, it was revealed that the FBI was investigating the hacking of the US presidential candidates' campaign offices.
On September 13, Western media reported that the US is preparing criminal charges in connection with Iran’s hacking attack on Trump’s campaign headquarters.
