Iran-Backed Hackers Target Trump and Harris Campaign's, Google Warns

Washington: Google confirmed on Tuesday that Iranian-backed hackers are targeting the presidential campaigns of Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and Republican contender Donald Trump. The hacker group, identified as "APT42" and linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), has been actively targeting high-profile individuals and organizations in both Israel and the United States, including political campaigns and government officials.

According to a threat report by Google's threat analysis group, the attacks involve sophisticated phishing techniques aimed at compromising personal accounts of individuals associated with both campaigns. This follows recent disclosures from Harris's campaign, which revealed it had been targeted by foreign hackers, and Trump's campaign's allegations that it had been hacked by Iran.

In a statement to AFP, a Harris campaign official confirmed that the campaign had been notified by the FBI in July about the foreign influence operation targeting them. However, the official emphasized that the campaign's cybersecurity measures are robust and that there have been no confirmed breaches resulting from these efforts.

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Google's report highlights that APT42 employs various tactics, including phishing attacks designed to trick targets into revealing login credentials for services like Gmail. The hackers have been known to impersonate credible contacts or organizations to lure victims into fake login pages. Despite the advanced tools used, the group also relies on social engineering tactics to exploit human vulnerabilities.

The report notes that APT42 has attempted to hack into the personal email accounts of several individuals affiliated with both President Joe Biden and Trump. Google successfully thwarted numerous login attempts and blocked several attempts to breach these accounts. The group has also accessed the personal Gmail account of a prominent political consultant.

In response to these threats, Google has urged high-risk individuals involved in the upcoming election to enhance their cybersecurity defenses. The U.S. State Department has also warned Iran of potential consequences for election interference, following Trump's campaign's claim of a breach that resulted in leaked private documents.

The Trump campaign's documents, which included internal research on running mate J.D. Vance, were reportedly sent to reporters, prompting the campaign to caution media outlets against publishing them. This stance contrasts with Trump's 2016 comments, where he encouraged Russia to find Clinton's emails, a remark widely interpreted as an invitation for further hacking of his opponent.

U.S. intelligence agencies had previously concluded that Russia intervened in the 2016 election to support Trump, a finding that Trump has consistently disputed.

Aug. 15, 2024 1:20 p.m. 533

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