Iranian group identified by Google attempting to hack emails connected to US presidential campaigns

Google reported on Wednesday that a group linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has attempted to breach the personal email accounts of about a dozen individuals associated with President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump since May. The tech giant’s threat intelligence unit stated that the group continues to target people linked to Biden, Trump, and Vice President Kamala Harris, focusing on current and former government officials, as well as those affiliated with presidential campaigns.

The report from Google’s Threat Analysis Group builds upon a Microsoft report released last Friday, highlighting suspected Iranian cyber intrusions in the ongoing U.S. presidential election. It demonstrates how foreign actors are intensifying their efforts to disrupt the election, which is just a few months away.

Google’s report revealed that the Iranian attackers were conducting email credential phishing attacks to gain unauthorized access. John Hultquist, head analyst at Google’s threat intelligence unit, mentioned that they alerted the FBI after detecting the group gaining access to a prominent political consultant’s personal Gmail account.

Notably, this Iranian group targeted both the Biden and Trump campaigns with phishing attacks as early as June 2020. Additionally, they have been involved in cyber espionage activities primarily in the Middle East and have recently targeted Israeli diplomats, academics, NGOs, and military affiliates.

Following reports of hacking incidents, U.S. intelligence officials have flagged continuous efforts from Russia and Iran to influence the U.S. election through online activities, including fake news websites and social media accounts. While the Iranian mission to the United Nations denied involvement in the U.S. election, reports of cyber intrusion attempts persist.

The FBI has confirmed ongoing investigations into the intrusion of the Trump campaign, while also looking into potential attempts to breach the Biden-Harris campaign. Microsoft and Google refrained from disclosing specific targets but identified the same Iranian group in their respective reports.

The Iranian government has refuted claims of interference in the U.S. election, while U.S. officials have expressed concerns over Tehran’s potential motives. As the U.S. election season progresses, cybersecurity remains a critical focus to safeguard against foreign interference.