Trump Campaign Emails Hacked
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Former President Donald Trump’s campaign spokesman has claimed that some of its internal communications had been hacked, blaming the Iranian government. He did not, however, provide direct evidence.
This statement follows a Microsoft report detailing foreign agents’ attempts to interfere in US campaign. Microsoft has reported that the Trump campaign was targeted and a person going by the name “Robert” was emailing internal Trump campaign materials to news organisations in July.
Speaking at at the recent DEF CON security conference in Las Vegas Rob Joyce, the former National Security Agency director of cyber security commented that “we are in a cycle again, with hack and leak already starting.”
US intelligence officials said in July that Iran was one of several countries seeking to either influence or interfere in national elections, alongside Russia and China. Joyce told the DEF CON audience that he would not speculate on who was behind the campaign and had no inside information, but noted that Iran, Russia, and China have all engaged in election interference operations.
Microsoft’s Threat Analysis Center said that hackers connected to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) sent a phishing email to a high-ranking official on a presidential campaign from the compromised account of a former senior adviser.
According to a report from Google, the hacking group APT42, also known as Charming Kitten, has been carrying out these cyberattacks since May. APT42's methods involve sending phishing emails with malicious links or infected PDF attachments, making it difficult for users to detect the threat.
Google’s report reveals that at least one of these attacks successfully compromised the email account of a well-known political advisor.
These reports are set against a background in which government agencies around the world have experienced a significant increase in cyber attacks last year. Notably, there was a 38% increase in malware, 51% in ransomware and a whacking 629% increase in encrypted threats.
Executive VP of EMEA, Spencer Starkey at SonicWall commented “The cyber battleground continues to expand... These cyberattacks raise concerns about a country’s own national security, critical national infrastructure as well as the safety of sensitive information."
Protecting government networks relies on constant communication and cooperation, working together with the private sector and imposing strict punishments, to deter future attacks, according to Starkey.
Following the recent assassination attempt on Trump, reports have emerged that a threat from Iran prompted the Secret Service to increase the ex-President's protection prior to the failed attempt. It is not known if this is related to the Pennsylvania shooting.
This an echo of the controversy over Hilary Clinton's failed campaign in 2016 and Joe Biden's successful Presidential bid in 2020, when hackers from Russia were suspected of intercepting campaign emails.
Google | Microsoft | SonicWall | APNews | Politico | Cyberscoop | Guardian | ABC |
Image: hoekstrarogier
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