The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has confirmed it is investigating alleged Iranian cyber attacks on both the Trump and Biden-Harris presidential campaigns, marking a significant escalation in concerns about foreign interference in the 2024 US election. The investigation, which began in June 2024, is examining phishing attempts and possible data theft from both campaigns.The Trump campaign claims that some of its internal communications have been hacked, including a 271-page dossier on potential vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance. Campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung stated that the documents were ‘obtained illegally from hostile foreign sources, with the intention of interfering in the 2024 elections and sowing chaos in the democratic process’.Meanwhile, the Biden-Harris campaign reports being vigilant against cyber threats but states they are unaware of any security breaches within their systems. However, three anonymous sources close to the Biden campaign reported receiving suspicious emails designed to appear legitimate, which could have given hackers access to the recipients’ communications if opened.A recent Microsoft report cited an example of an Iranian military intelligence unit sending a phishing email to a high-ranking official in a presidential campaign from a compromised email account of a former senior advisor. This aligns with the FBI’s suspicions that Iran is behind the email phishing attempts, although investigators are less certain about Iran’s role in sending internal campaign information to the press.The Iranian government has vehemently denied any involvement in these cyber attacks. However, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence has released an intelligence community assessment concluding that Iranian groups are working to fuel distrust toward U.S. institutions and increase social discord.As the investigation unfolds, this incident has once again thrust the issue of cybersecurity and foreign interference to the forefront of the 2024 presidential race. Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff has called for the FBI to reveal what it knows about the hacking attempts, urging the US intelligence community to ‘act quickly here’.
Key points
- The FBI is investigating alleged Iranian cyber attacks on both the Trump and Biden-Harris campaigns.
- The Trump campaign claims internal documents were hacked, including a dossier on potential VP candidate J.
- The Biden-Harris campaign reports no known breaches but received suspicious emails.
- A Microsoft report suggests ongoing Iranian attempts to interfere in the 2024 US election.
D.
Vance.
Contradictions👾While the Trump campaign claims a hack occurred, Trump himself stated that Iran only accessed publicly available information.
👾The Biden-Harris campaign states they are unaware of any security breaches, but anonymous sources report receiving suspicious emails.
