Microsoft has announced that it detected numerous Iranian Online behaviors targeting the upcoming American Presidential election. Speaking about a new threat intelligence report published on Friday, it has been stated that Iran has increased its cyber interference in the electoral process of the United States: hackers use phishing, fake news generation, and impersonation of American activists.
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Intensified Cyber Operations
This report presents several ominous cases of cyber meddling that are connected to Iran, especially elements belonging to the IRGC. In June, an Iranian cyber unit attempted to perform a spear phishing attack on a high-ranking official who was a member of a US presidential campaign team. The attackers were very subtle in their operations for one of the attacker’s identities was using a frozen email of a former senior adviser. Although Microsoft did not reveal which campaign was aimed at, such attacks are marked by their high level of complexity.
Furthermore, the same Iranian group botched an attempt to penetrate the account of an ex-presidential candidate. Microsoft has informed the people involved, with the organization stressing the fact that these cyber operatives are relentless and have evolved in the way they operate.
Understandably, influence operations or fake news embrace this flaw
Apart from acting as an antagonist, Iranian cyber groups are also involved in the creation of websites that could propagandize information to create tensions in society along the political line. These Websites appear to be genuine US news sites but have been designed to disseminate polarising information. For instance, one site operated by a left-wing bias provided only the negative sentiment associating former President Donald Trump with behavior only to be medicated and taking drugs. On the other hand, a site with sensibility for a traditional audience under discussion covered significantly sensitive topics, including the rights of sexual minorities, as well as gender confirmation surgeries.
This sort of fake news distribution is used to deepen the existing political polarization and push people into corresponding political views based on the consumption of only positive and filtered information.
Impersonation and Additional Breaches
Besides fake news campaigns, Iran cyber activists have performed other operations including impersonation of US activists. This approach might increase direct influence as the poll draws nearer. Moreover, the BEC was informed that an Iranian group infiltrated a government employee’s account in a swing state in May, although it is not known if the breach contributed to an election-related plot.
There are still official denials that any torture took place and a broader context of government hostility to CIA investigations.
The Iranian mission to the UN has dismissed any links it had with election interference or cyber attacks on the US. However, the research that Microsoft disclosed indicates a broader and even more systematic campaign than what has been initially admitted by the US intelligence personnel.
From previous years, unidentified interference is expected most of the time from Iran for the growing closeness of the November election; however, other countries such as Russia and China are not hesitant to use the division already existing in the US. These activities remain a major concern to the electoral process hence the need to be more alert and come up with better anti-measures.
Conclusion
Although detailed and containing some overlaps with the previous reports, Microsoft’s report is useful to remember the dynamic nature of threats targeting democratic systems. The alleged Iranian operations show that foreign meddlesome is becoming more complex and large-scale, which means more attention and actions should be paid to prevent elections from being interfered with.
Thus, knowing about them, the stakeholders shall be able to provide an appropriate safeguard against the threats and guarantee that the upcoming US presidential election is not going to be influenced or sabotaged by external factors.
