Iranian Hacking Group Targets US Political Campaigns
A hacking group linked to Iran has targeted the personal email accounts of individuals associated with both the Trump and Biden campaigns, including current and former government officials. Google released a report on Wednesday detailing the attacks, which occurred in May and June. The group, known as APT42, is believed to be affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
According to Google, APT42 has targeted primarily users in Israel and the United States, including high-profile individuals. The group has successfully breached accounts across multiple email providers, including Gmail. In one instance, APT42 gained access to the personal Gmail account of a prominent political consultant.
Google has notified campaign officials of the heightened activity and has urged them to enhance their account security. The company has also reported the malicious activity to law enforcement and is cooperating with their investigation.
The latest report from Google is the latest in a series of warnings from major technology companies about Iranian malicious efforts during the current election cycle. Last week, Microsoft warned that Iranians were targeting an unnamed campaign official on a presidential campaign.
The FBI has also confirmed that it is investigating the hack against the Trump campaign, and sources have told ABC News that they are also investigating the attempted hack on the Biden campaign.
Israeli officials have also been targets of APT42. The group has sent social engineering emails to former senior Israeli military officials and an aerospace executive, as well as Israeli diplomats, academics, NGOs, and political entities.
APT42 has also used fake petitions from real organizations to carry out phishing attacks. The group is known for its sophisticated and persistent tactics, and it is expected to continue its efforts to target users and deploy novel techniques.
Earlier this month, Attorney General Merrick Garland warned of Iranian activity. He stated that the Justice Department is working to counter Iran’s efforts to retaliate against American public officials for the killing of Iranian General Soleimani. The Justice Department will take all necessary steps to disrupt and hold accountable those who carry out Iran’s lethal plotting against American citizens.
Conclusion
The threat from Iranian hacking groups is serious. The attacks on political campaigns and other targets demonstrate the group’s capabilities and intentions. Individuals and organizations should take steps to protect themselves from phishing attacks and other malicious activity by APT42 and other state-sponsored actors.
