Analysts believe they have caught Iran conducting a large scale cyberattack targeting American politics at the highest levels.
Microsoft reports Phosphorous, an organization with suspected links to the Islamic Republic in Tehran, attacked 241 email accounts over the late summer and early fall.
Those accounts belong to members of a U.S. presidential campaign, current and former high-profile government officials, well-known journalists, and “prominent” expatriate Iranians. Four of the accounts were compromised. (engadget.com)
Microsoft said it had notified Phosphorous’ targets, and was helping compromised users secure their accounts. It also recommended that political figures use its AccountGuard program to get advanced monitoring and threat alerts.
Iran hasn’t acknowledged its involvement in the attacks. However, they wouldn’t be surprising in light of escalating tensions between the US and Iran that have included digital warfare. Iran has also been accused of conducting a Russia-like disinformation campaign meant to skew American politics ahead of the 2020 presidential election. If Iran is involved, this would mainly represent one of the most overt attacks to date.
AAN Staff
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