Microsoft says hackers attack senior US campaign official

The agency did not say which party he works for, but talks about trying to influence the US election

Hackers linked to the Iranian government attempted to breach the account of a top official from the US presidential campaign in June, Microsoft researchers said Friday (August 9, 2024). The move comes weeks after a group breached the account of a US government official.

According to the company’s statement, these efforts are part of efforts by Iranian groups to influence the US presidential election in November. Information from Reuters.

The document does not provide details on who the higher-ups are. According to the text, the move appears to be part of a broader effort by Iranian groups to gain intelligence on US political campaigns and target swing states in the country.

A team commanded by the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) intelligence wing,” the statement said.A senior presidential campaign official sent a spear-phishing email”.

Spear-fishing A personalized cyber attack that targets specific individuals or organizations. Usually, they are carried out through emails that appear legitimate.

Iran’s mission to the United Nations in New York told Reuters its cyber capabilities “Defense and proportional to the threats it faces” and has no plan to conduct cyber attacks. “The US presidential election is a domestic affair in which Iran will not interfere”, he announced in a statement.