US Presidential: Iranian cyber intrusion What we know about US presidential race
NEW YORK—Over the weekend, new information came to light regarding a suspected Iranian cyberattack targeting Republican US Presidential candidate Donald Trump’s campaign, which may have led to the theft of internal campaign documents.
The FBI is investigating this incident and efforts to breach PrThe New York Times and The Washington Post also indicated that they had received leaked materials. esident Joe Biden’s reelection campaign, which has now become Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign following Biden’s withdrawal from the race.
What happened?
On Saturday, Trump’s U.S. presidential campaign revealed that it had been compromised, leading to the theft and dissemination of sensitive internal documents. The campaign has attributed the breach to Iranian agents.
On the same day, Politico reported receiving leaked internal Trump campaign documents via email from an individual identified only as “Robert.”
According to the outlet, these documents included vetting materials on Republican vice US Presidential nominee JD Vance and Senator Marco Rubio, who was also considered for the vice US Presidential slot.
The New York Times and The Washington Post also indicated that they had received leaked materials. However, neither outlet disclosed specific details about the contents, describing the documents in general terms.
It remains uncertain if the documents received by the news outlets are connected to the reported hack of Trump’s campaign.
Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung suggested they were related, stating that the documents “were obtained illegally” and cautioning that “any media or news outlet that republishes these documents or internal Reprinting these communications benefits America’s adversaries and aligns with their objectives.”
On Monday, the FBI confirmed its investigation into the breach of the Trump campaign. Sources familiar with the matter also revealed that the FBI is looking into attempts to gain access to the Biden-Harris campaign.
Why is Trump blaming Iran?
Trump’s campaign did not provide definitive evidence connecting Iran to the hack. However, it referenced a Microsoft report released on Friday outlining an Iranian effort to penetrate a US Presidential campaign in June.
According to Microsoft’s report, an Iranian military intelligence unit had sent a spear-phishing email to a senior US Presidential campaign official from a compromised account of a former senior advisor. Spear-phishing involves impersonating a trusted sender to install malware or obtain sensitive information.
The tech company did not reveal the specific campaign or advisor targeted but confirmed that they had been notified. Following this, Trump and Roger Stone, a long-time friend and advisor of the former president, stated that Microsoft reached out to them concerning suspected cyber intrusions.
Truth Social Platform
On Saturday, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, “We were recently notified by Microsoft Corporation that one of our numerous websites was compromised by the Iranian Government – Not a pleasant situation!”
Grant Smith, Roger Stone’s attorney, confirmed that Stone is actively cooperating with Microsoft and the FBI. Both organizations have approached him regarding the cybersecurity breach. Smith, however, declined to provide additional details about the ongoing investigation.
What does the government say?
U.S. State Department officials refrained from speculating whether Iran was responsible for the hack. However, a spokesperson noted that such actions would align with Tehran’s previous use of cyberattacks and misinformation.
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These latest efforts to meddle in US Presidential U.S. elections are consistent with the Iranian regime’s past actions,” said spokesperson Vedant Patel on Monday.
U.S. intelligence officials declined to comment on the situation, directing inquiries to the FBI, which has only confirmed that an investigation is underway.
When approached about the Trump campaign’s allegations, Iran’s mission to the United Nations denied any involvement. “The mission dismissed these reports,” it told The Associated Press.
The Iranian government neither possesses nor has any intention or motive to interfere in the US Presidential election.”
Iran has long been suspected of conducting hacking operations against its adversaries in the Middle East and beyond. Additionally, Tehran has previously threatened retaliation against Trump for the 2020 drone strike that killed prominent Revolutionary Guard General Qassem Soleimani.
Was Harris targeted too?
Harris’s campaign has not confirmed whether it detected state-sponsored intrusion attempts. It has only stated that it remains vigilant against cyber threats and has not found any evidence of security breaches in its systems.
However, two sources familiar with the situation, who requested anonymity due to restrictions on discussing the investigation, indicated that the Biden-Harris campaign was also targeted in the suspected Iranian cyber intrusion.
One source revealed that at least three staff members of the Biden-Harris campaign were targeted with phishing emails, but investigators have yet to find any proof that these attempts were successful.
Had these attempts been successful, they could have potentially compromised sensitive campaign information. These incidents occurred before Biden’s withdrawal from the race.
According to the source, the FBI initiated an investigation into the cyber incident in June, and intelligence officials suspect that Iran was responsible for the attempts.
Where have I heard this before?
A suspected foreign hack-and-leak of campaign materials may seem familiar, as similar incidents have occurred before, notably in 2016.
That year, Russian hackers exposed emails from Hillary Clinton’s campaign manager, John Podesta. Wikileaks published these emails, which received extensive coverage in the media.
On Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer highlighted the recurring use of such tactics against the U.S.,stating that they demonstrate foreign adversaries’ intent to “create chaos and undermine our democratic process.”
We need to stay alert to ensure our cybersecurity can withstand these intrusions as we head toward November,” he said.
Experts suggest that the recent breach of the Trump campaign is unlikely to be the last attempt to influence U.S. elections through cyberattacks or online disinformation. Both Iran and Russia, for instance, have been targeting Americans with fake news sites and social media content designed to sway voters, according to Microsoft and U.S. intelligence officials.
Former top election security official Chris Krebs cautioned on the social platform X about taking this threat seriously.
You might not like the victim here, but the adversary doesn’t care who you support,” he remarked regarding the Trump campaign hack. “American voters decide American elections. Let’s keep it that way.
