The FBI and other investigators are looking into a cyberattack on the Trump campaign that has been attributed to Iran. The attack involved hackers compromising the personal email account of someone associated with the campaign, according to sources familiar with the matter.
It is believed that the hackers gained access to the breached email account to try to break into the account of a senior Trump campaign official. The incident, which occurred in June, prompted a response from the Trump campaign, the FBI, and Microsoft, who detected the intrusion attempts.
In addition to targeting the Trump campaign, Iranian hackers were also reported to have attempted to breach the Biden-Harris campaign. However, the Harris campaign has stated that they are not aware of any security breaches in their systems.
The FBI has confirmed that they are investigating the cyberattack on the Trump campaign but did not provide further details. Iran has denied the allegations, although the techniques used in the attack are consistent with those associated with Iranian hackers.
This incident highlights the growing concern over Iranian efforts to influence the upcoming 2024 US presidential election. US intelligence officials have warned of a covert social media campaign by Iran aimed at undermining Trump's candidacy and sowing social discord in the US.
According to Microsoft, Iranian operatives have been creating fake news sites to target both liberal and conservative voters. This activity is seen as part of a broader strategy by Iran to interfere in the US political landscape.
