Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Iranian Hackers Said to Target Presidential Campaign
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 6 years ago on
October 5, 2019

Share

WASHINGTON — Microsoft said Friday that hackers linked to the Iranian government targeted a U.S. presidential campaign, as well as government officials, media targets and prominent expatriate Iranians.
Overall, the hackers attempted to penetrate 241 accounts — four successfully — though none of those penetrated was associated with presidential campaigns or current or past U.S. officials, Microsoft said. A company spokeswoman declined to identify those targeted, citing customer privacy.
Reuters and The New York Times reported that the attack targeted President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign, but this could not be independently confirmed. But a review of publicly available internet records by AP showed that the Trump campaign’s official website is linked to Microsoft’s email service.
Tim Murtaugh, spokesman for Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign, said there was “no indication that any of our campaign infrastructure was targeted.”
Microsoft’s announcement is the latest sign that foreign governments are looking for ways to potentially disrupt the 2020 presidential election. U.S. intelligence officials have sounded the alarm about the risks for months.
Russia’s hacking of the Democratic National Committee and the Clinton campaign, as well as the subsequent leaks of emails during the 2016 election roiled the DNC, hurt the Clinton campaign and was a focal point in special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe.

Department of Homeland Security Working With Microsoft

Foreign hackers have long targeted U.S. government and politicians, generally with little notice. But the disruption caused by Russia’s attack has heightened awareness and prompted fears that other nations will try to follow Russia’s example. Iran in particular could have a stake in the outcome of the U.S. election after Trump withdrew the United States from a nuclear agreement and stepped up sanctions against the country.

“The Russians came after us and our election system in 2016 and they paid virtually no price for that activity It’s not surprising that China now more aggressively and maybe the Iranians are getting in that game. Why not?” — Jamil N. Jaffer, director of the national security law and policy program at George Mason University, and former chief counsel of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
“The Russians came after us and our election system in 2016 and they paid virtually no price for that activity,” said Jamil N. Jaffer, director of the national security law and policy program at George Mason University, and former chief counsel of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “It’s not surprising that China now more aggressively and maybe the Iranians are getting in that game. Why not?”
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said it was working with Microsoft to “assess and mitigate impacts.” Chris Krebs, director of the department’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, said much of the activity is likely “run-of-the-mill” foreign intelligence service work.
But, “Microsoft’s claims that a presidential campaign was targeted is yet more evidence that our adversaries are looking to undermine our democratic institutions,” Krebs said.
In a blogpost released Friday, Microsoft’s Tom Burt, corporate vice president for customer security and trust, said that owners of four accounts that were compromised by the hackers have been notified. The company would not identify those accounts.
The attacks by a group Microsoft calls Phosphorous occurred during a 30-day period between August and September.

Company Has Taken Legal Steps to Combat Iran-Linked Hackers

Burt said the Iranian hackers used password reset and account recovery features to try to take over accounts. For example, they gathered phone numbers belonging to targets to help with a password reset. In other cases, they tried to get into secondary email accounts that might be linked to the Microsoft account to gain access via a verification email.
The hackers researched their targets, making more than 2,700 attempts to identify emails belonging to a specific Microsoft customer. A spokeswoman declined to provide more details.
The company has previously taken legal steps to combat Iran-linked hackers, suing them in federal court in Washington D.C., so Microsoft could take control of websites Phosphorous used to conduct hacking operations and to stop attacks.
The campaigns of Sen. Kamala Harris, Michael Bennet, Pete Buttigieg, and Montana Gov. Steve Bullock also said they had not been targeted. A campaign aide for Sen. Bernie Sanders said the campaign doesn’t comment on matters of technical security.
Republican National Committee spokeswoman Blair Ellis said the RNC is “constantly working to stay ahead of emerging threats.”
Meanwhile, the DNC sent an alert out to campaigns Friday, warning them about the Iran-linked hacking group’s targeting of Microsoft accounts belonging to “journalists, politicians and at least one presidential campaign.”

In July, Microsoft Said It Had Detected More Than 740 Infiltration Attempts

The DNC has taken several steps to improve the party’s cybersecurity since 2016. The most public move was the hiring of Bob Lord, a veteran of Silicon Valley cybersecurity with stints at Yahoo, Twitter, AOL and Netscape, to serve as its cybersecurity chief.

In July, Microsoft announced that it had detected more than 740 infiltration attempts by nation-state actors in the past year targeting U.S.-based political parties, campaigns and other democracy-focused organizations including think tanks and other nonprofits.
Lord on Friday declined to provide details on the hacking efforts, deferring to Microsoft. He has worked to improve security protocols for DNC staff, state parties and campaigns with access to the central voter file that DNC maintains.
In July, Microsoft announced that it had detected more than 740 infiltration attempts by nation-state actors in the past year targeting U.S.-based political parties, campaigns and other democracy-focused organizations including think tanks and other nonprofits.
The company declined to name or further characterize the targets or the actors. It said at the time that such targeting had similarly occurred in the early stages of the 2016 and 2018 elections.
A memo prepared by DHS and the FBI was sent to state election officials this week outlining possible ways Russia could seek to interfere in the 2020 elections by discouraging voters or utilizing voter suppression tactics.
The document, which was dated Thursday and reviewed by The Associated Press, outlines a few possible scenarios for state and local election officials to be aware of. Those include the use of social media to exacerbate divisions within political parties during state primaries and the hacking of election websites to spread misinformation on voting processes or to alter voter registration data.

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Chargers in Need of Help at Wide Receiver and Tight End in the NFL Draft

DON'T MISS

Magic Happens When Kids and Adults Learn to Swim. Tragedy Can Strike if They Don’t.

DON'T MISS

Big Fresno Fair Board Will Be Led by an American Sikh for 1st Time

DON'T MISS

AI ‘Friend’ for Public School Students Falls Flat

DON'T MISS

Is a ‘Friend-Apist’ What We Really Want From Therapy?

DON'T MISS

Yemen’s Houthi Rebels Report US Strikes in the Capital and a Coastal City

DON'T MISS

Progressive Icon and Ex-US Rep. Barbara Lee Wins Race for Mayor of Oakland

DON'T MISS

Humanoid Robots Run a Chinese Half-Marathon Alongside Human Competitors

DON'T MISS

Bakersfield Push to Restore Kern River Seeks to Revitalize City

DON'T MISS

Anti-Trump Protesters Turn Out to Rallies Across Country

UP NEXT

Magic Happens When Kids and Adults Learn to Swim. Tragedy Can Strike if They Don’t.

UP NEXT

Yemen’s Houthi Rebels Report US Strikes in the Capital and a Coastal City

UP NEXT

Humanoid Robots Run a Chinese Half-Marathon Alongside Human Competitors

UP NEXT

Anti-Trump Protesters Turn Out to Rallies Across Country

UP NEXT

250 Years After America Went to War for Independence, a Divided Nation Battles Over Its Legacy

UP NEXT

Greg Cronin Fired as Coach of Anaheim Ducks After 2 Seasons

UP NEXT

Israeli Strikes on Gaza Kill More Than 90 People in 48 Hours, Palestinians Say

UP NEXT

US and Iran Advance Nuclear Talks to Expert Level After Rome Meeting

UP NEXT

Putin Announces an Easter Ceasefire as Russia and Ukraine Swap Hundreds of POWs

UP NEXT

NBA Playoff Guide: Who Plays When, How to Watch, What the Odds Are

AI ‘Friend’ for Public School Students Falls Flat

19 hours ago

Is a ‘Friend-Apist’ What We Really Want From Therapy?

19 hours ago

Yemen’s Houthi Rebels Report US Strikes in the Capital and a Coastal City

1 day ago

Progressive Icon and Ex-US Rep. Barbara Lee Wins Race for Mayor of Oakland

1 day ago

Humanoid Robots Run a Chinese Half-Marathon Alongside Human Competitors

1 day ago

Bakersfield Push to Restore Kern River Seeks to Revitalize City

2 days ago

Anti-Trump Protesters Turn Out to Rallies Across Country

2 days ago

Universal Studios Fan Fest 2025 to Feature Immersive D&D Attraction and More

2 days ago

Thousands Gather in London for Trans Rights Following UK Ruling Over Definition of Woman

2 days ago

250 Years After America Went to War for Independence, a Divided Nation Battles Over Its Legacy

2 days ago

Chargers in Need of Help at Wide Receiver and Tight End in the NFL Draft

EL SEGUNDO — In their first season together, Los Angeles Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz and coach Jim Harbaugh rebuilt the team enough ...

18 hours ago

18 hours ago

Chargers in Need of Help at Wide Receiver and Tight End in the NFL Draft

18 hours ago

Magic Happens When Kids and Adults Learn to Swim. Tragedy Can Strike if They Don’t.

18 hours ago

Big Fresno Fair Board Will Be Led by an American Sikh for 1st Time

19 hours ago

AI ‘Friend’ for Public School Students Falls Flat

19 hours ago

Is a ‘Friend-Apist’ What We Really Want From Therapy?

1 day ago

Yemen’s Houthi Rebels Report US Strikes in the Capital and a Coastal City

1 day ago

Progressive Icon and Ex-US Rep. Barbara Lee Wins Race for Mayor of Oakland

1 day ago

Humanoid Robots Run a Chinese Half-Marathon Alongside Human Competitors

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend