Christopher Bing and A.J. Vicens
An Iranian hacking group is actively scouting U.S. election-related websites and American media outlets as Election Day nears, with activity suggesting preparations for more "direct influence operations," according to a Microsoft blog published on Wednesday.
The hackers – dubbed Cotton Sandstorm by Microsoft and linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps – performed reconnaissance and limited probing of multiple "election-related websites" in several unnamed battleground states, the report said. In May, they also scanned an unidentified U.S. news outlet to understand its vulnerabilities.
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate, faces Republican rival Donald Trump in the Nov. 5 presidential election, which polls suggest is an extremely tight race.
"Cotton Sandstorm will increase its activity as the election nears given the group's operational tempo and history of election interference," researchers wrote. The development is particularly concerning because of the group's past efforts, they said.
A spokesperson for Iran's mission to the United Nations said that "such allegations are fundamentally unfounded, and wholly inadmissible."
No comments:
Post a Comment