Microsoft announced on Friday that Iran is ramping up its online efforts to influence the US election, including an email phishing assault on a presidential campaign.
The tech company also discovered that Iranian actors have been impersonating activists and constructing fake news sites for the past few months, setting themselves up to divide and maybe influence American voters this fall, particularly in swing areas.
Iran, which has been involved in the US elections recently, is adjusting its strategy for another election that can have worldwide repercussions, according to Microsoft’s latest threat intelligence report. The study provides concrete instances of Iranian groups and their activities thus far, going beyond what U.S. intelligence authorities have revealed. Iranian officials at the UN rejected their country’s intentions to meddle in or conduct cyberattacks on the next US presidential election.
U.S. authorities have previously intimated that Iran particularly opposes former President Donald Trump, however the article does not describe Iran’s aims beyond spreading disruption in the United States. Trump ordered a strike on an Iranian general in 2020, and U.S. officials are worried that Tehran is trying to get revenge. A Pakistani national with Iranian connections was charged with plotting the assassinations of numerous officials, including Trump, according to federal accusations unsealed this week by the Justice Department.
Also revealed in the report is how China and Russia are using the divide in American politics to promote their own contentious messages in this crucial election year.
Microsoft expects four instances of Iranian activity to escalate in the run-up to the November election, as detailed in the company’s study.
First, in June, an unnamed group associated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard allegedly sent a phishing email to a high-ranking official of a U.S. presidential campaign in an effort to steal critical information. Microsoft says the gang used a compromised email account of a former senior adviser to hide their true identity.
According to Microsoft’s investigation, a few days later, the Iranian gang attempted to access the account of a previous presidential candidate, but were unsuccessful. The targeted individuals were informed by the company.
Another case in point is that of an Iranian group that, according to the report, has been developing websites that impersonate American news outlets in order to sway voters on opposing political spectrums.
Trump is insulted by one left-leaning fake news site, which allegedly calls him “raving mad” and says that he uses drugs, according to the article. Another site aimed at Republican readers discusses gender-affirming surgery and LGBTQ concerns.
In a third case, Microsoft said that Iranian groups are pretending to be American activists in order to set the stage for influence operations in the run-up to the election.
According to the allegation, a government employee in a swing state had their account compromised in May by another Iranian entity. The nature of the cyberattack and its connection to attempts to influence the election remained uncertain.
There have been multiple offensive cyber operations that have targeted Iran’s infrastructure, public service centers, and industries, according to a statement given by Iran’s U.N. mission to The Associated Press. Iran has defensive cyber capabilities that are appropriate to the dangers it confronts. No cyberattacks are being planned or intended by Iran. Iran has no business interfering in the upcoming U.S. presidential election.
In response to Iran’s growing cyber influence, the Microsoft report states that Russian-affiliated actors have redirected their influence campaigns toward the US election, while Chinese Communist Party-affiliated actors have exploited pro-Palestinian university protests and other US current events to sow political discord.
Microsoft has maintained its vigilance over the ways in which its international adversaries are utilizing generative AI technologies. There is growing concern among experts that these easily accessible and inexpensive tools could be used to manipulate voters this election season with their realistic phony graphics, photos, and videos.
The firm stated that although other nations have tried using AI in their influence operations, these endeavors have not shown significant results thus far. The research stated that due to this, certain individuals have “returned to tactics that have worked before — basic digital manipulations, content misrepresentation, and the application of credible labels or logos on top of misleading data.”
U.S. intelligence officials have recently warned that America’s enemies are intent on sowing false and provocative claims online in the lead-up to the November election, and Microsoft’s analysis is in line with these concerns.
Last month, senior intelligence sources stated that Russia remains the biggest threat to election disinformation, with Iran showing signs of ramping up its efforts and China taking it slow when it comes to 2024.
It appears that Iran is trying to discredit candidates who are thought to be more inclined to escalate tensions with Tehran, according to the officials. Trump’s administration severed ties with Iran, reimposed sanctions, and had the country’s senior general assassinated, so the description seems to match.
The United States backs Israel’s military with all its might, and these influence operations come at a time when tensions are running high between Iran and Israel.
Last month, Avril Haines, the Director of National Intelligence, stated that the Iranian government had clandestinely backed American demonstrations against Israel’s conflict with Hamas in Gaza. According to Haines, Iranian-affiliated organizations have masquerad as internet activists, incited demonstrations, and even provided financial backing to certain protest organizations.
Iranian and other American enemies have a long tradition of trying to sway American elections. Intelligence agencies have concluded that in 2020, Iranian-affiliated organizations attempted to scare Democratic voters into supporting Trump by sending them intimidating emails.