Iran has increased cyber operations that may be geared towards influencing the upcoming U.S. presidential election, Microsoft warned in a threat intelligence report Friday.
The tech giant claimed that cyber activity from Iran has been increasing over the past several months, with foreign groups attempting to weaponize artificial intelligence and other scams in efforts geared explicitly towards election interference, according to the report. Iranian groups have allegedly created several news sites fronting as American outlets targeting specific voting groups and feeding divisive information that appears to be aimed at increasing tensions in the election.
“Over the past several months, we have seen the emergence of significant influence activity by Iranian actors,” Microsoft stated in the report. “Looking forward, we expect Iranian actors will employ cyberattacks against institutions and candidates while simultaneously intensifying their efforts to amplify existing divisive issues within the US, like racial tensions, economic disparities, and gender-related issues.”
One news site called Nio Thinker is filled with content targeting former president Donald Trump and is geared towards left-leaning audiences, referring to the Republican nominee as an “opioid-pilled elephant in the MAGA china shop” and a “raving mad litigiosaur,” according to the report. Microsoft also identified the Savannah Time, which focuses on gender identity issues and calls itself a “trusted source for conservative news in the vibrant city of Savannah.”
An image of a seized ransomeware website is displayed at a press conference where the U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland made an announcement on an international ransomware enforcement action at the U.S. Justice Department on January 26, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Another Iranian group is believed to be preparing for “activities that are even more extreme, including intimidation or inciting violence against political figures or groups, with the ultimate goals of inciting chaos, undermining authorities, and sowing doubt about election integrity,” Microsoft said. The group has been setting up efforts since March, according to Microsoft. (RELATED: US Charges Pakistani Man Allegedly Tied To Iran Over Trump Murder Plot)
An Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) intelligence unit-linked group attempted to hack into an account belonging to a former presidential candidate after sending a phishing email from a compromised former senior advisor’s account to a high-ranking official of the presidential campaign. A separate Iranian group successfully gained access to a swing-state government employee’s account, which Microsoft believes to be part of a broader effort to retrieve vital information to inform Iranian election interference initiatives, especially those targeting swing states.
Microsoft claimed in a previous report that during the 2020 presidential election, “Iran launched multiple cyber-enabled influence operations that impersonated American extremists, and attempted to sow discord among US voters and incite violence against US government officials.”
Microsoft said they are continuing to monitor the threat and are advising candidates and parties on how to protect themselves.
Microsoft did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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