Google reports Iran attempted to hack Trump and Biden-Harris campaigns
Google has announced that it successfully identified and dismantled a phishing operation connected to a hacking group associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
The tech giant claims it has disrupted a phishing operation conducted by a hacking unit associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Google has alleged that Iranian hackers attempted to target both Republican and Democratic presidential election campaigns earlier this summer. This attack was reportedly part of a more extensive email phishing operation intended to send deceptive messages to obtain personal information or compromise accounts.
The company’s report, released on Wednesday, follows former US President Donald Trump’s campaign disclosure that its internal emails and documents were stolen “by foreign sources.” The campaign attributed the hack to Tehran and accused it of trying to meddle in the upcoming US presidential election, a claim Iran has denied.
In its findings, Google’s Threat Analysis Group (TAG) indicated that it had interrupted a “small but steady” phishing operation run by APT42, identified as an Iranian government-backed threat actor with connections to the IRGC.
According to Google, APT42 “consistently targets high-profile users in Israel and the US, including current and former government officials, political campaigns, diplomats, individuals who work at think tanks, as well as NGOs and academic institutions that contribute to foreign policy conversations.”
The tech giant noted that it had thwarted “numerous” attempts by the group to access the personal email accounts of several individuals linked to US President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and former President Trump during May and June. This group included current and former government officials along with individuals affiliated with their campaigns.
Over the last six months, approximately 60% of APT42's known targeting has reportedly been focused on the US and Israel, with the TAG report suggesting that the group's activities “demonstrate the group’s aggressive, multi-pronged effort to quickly alter its operation focus in support of Iran’s political and military priorities.”
Last Saturday, Politico reported that it had begun receiving emails from an unidentified source known only as ‘Robert’ containing various documents related to the Trump campaign. These documents allegedly included a 271-page vetting report on Trump’s running mate, Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, as well as a dossier on Florida Senator Marco Rubio. The source reportedly claimed to possess a “variety” of Trump’s legal and court documents, along with details on internal campaign discussions.
The Trump campaign asserted that these documents were stolen by “foreign sources hostile to the US” and referenced an earlier Microsoft report warning of a “spear phishing email” scheme attributed to the IRGC.
In contrast, Iran’s permanent mission to the UN has dismissed these allegations, asserting that the Iranian government “neither possesses nor harbors any intent or motive to interfere in the United States presidential election.”
Sanya Singh contributed to this report for TROIB News
Google has alleged that Iranian hackers attempted to target both Republican and Democratic presidential election campaigns earlier this summer. This attack was reportedly part of a more extensive email phishing operation intended to send deceptive messages to obtain personal information or compromise accounts.
The company’s report, released on Wednesday, follows former US President Donald Trump’s campaign disclosure that its internal emails and documents were stolen “by foreign sources.” The campaign attributed the hack to Tehran and accused it of trying to meddle in the upcoming US presidential election, a claim Iran has denied.
In its findings, Google’s Threat Analysis Group (TAG) indicated that it had interrupted a “small but steady” phishing operation run by APT42, identified as an Iranian government-backed threat actor with connections to the IRGC.
According to Google, APT42 “consistently targets high-profile users in Israel and the US, including current and former government officials, political campaigns, diplomats, individuals who work at think tanks, as well as NGOs and academic institutions that contribute to foreign policy conversations.”
The tech giant noted that it had thwarted “numerous” attempts by the group to access the personal email accounts of several individuals linked to US President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and former President Trump during May and June. This group included current and former government officials along with individuals affiliated with their campaigns.
Over the last six months, approximately 60% of APT42's known targeting has reportedly been focused on the US and Israel, with the TAG report suggesting that the group's activities “demonstrate the group’s aggressive, multi-pronged effort to quickly alter its operation focus in support of Iran’s political and military priorities.”
Last Saturday, Politico reported that it had begun receiving emails from an unidentified source known only as ‘Robert’ containing various documents related to the Trump campaign. These documents allegedly included a 271-page vetting report on Trump’s running mate, Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, as well as a dossier on Florida Senator Marco Rubio. The source reportedly claimed to possess a “variety” of Trump’s legal and court documents, along with details on internal campaign discussions.
The Trump campaign asserted that these documents were stolen by “foreign sources hostile to the US” and referenced an earlier Microsoft report warning of a “spear phishing email” scheme attributed to the IRGC.
In contrast, Iran’s permanent mission to the UN has dismissed these allegations, asserting that the Iranian government “neither possesses nor harbors any intent or motive to interfere in the United States presidential election.”
Sanya Singh contributed to this report for TROIB News
