Microsoft warns that Iran is using cyber operations to influence the US 2024 election, just like China and Russia
Every country in the world has a vested interest in the outcome of the US election in November. The choice of either Donald Trump or Kamala Harris will have huge impact around the globe, and there are some countries that are actively engaged in trying to sway voters and influence 2024 US election.
That the likes of Russia and China are engaged in targeting the result of the poll is unsurprising, but Microsoft has issued a warning that Iran is also planning to influence this year's US presidential election. A report from the Microsoft Threat Analysis Center highlights evidence of Iranian cyber-influence operations which have already been running for months.
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Microsoft says that numerous groups associated with the Iranian government have started the preliminary work in what is expected to be a long campaign of influencing the election. Swing states are key targets for trying to nudge voters' decisions.
Some influence campaigns have already been running for months and there are fears that things could take a dangerous turn as the election draws ever closer. Microsoft warns that:
[An] Iranian group has been setting the groundwork for US-focused influence operations since March. We believe this group may be setting itself up for activities that are even more extreme, including intimidation or inciting violence against political figures or groups, with the ultimate goals of inciting chaos, undermining authorities, and sowing doubt about election integrity.
The report from the Microsoft Threat Analysis Center says that these groups are using a variety of techniques, including using artificial intelligence to steal and repurpose online content.
The company says:
One Iranian group has been launching covert news sites targeting US voter groups on opposing ends of the political spectrum. One of the sites, called Nio Thinker, caters to left-leaning audiences and insults former president Donald Trump, calling him an "opioid-pilled elephant in the MAGA china shop" and a "raving mad litigiosaur". Another, called Savannah Time, claims to be a "trusted source for conservative news in the vibrant city of Savannah” and focuses on topics including LGBTQ+ issues and gender reassignment. The evidence we found suggests the sites are using AI-enabled services to plagiarize at least some of their content from US publications.
But this targeting of voters is not the only objective of the Iranian groups. There is also evidence of information gathering though spear-phishing campaigns which are looking to gain intelligence on political campaigns and thereby enable groups to influence not only the 2024 presidential election, but also future elections.
The threat intelligence report from Microsoft is entitled "Iran steps into US election 2024 with cyber-enabled influence operations", and it makes for sobering reading. It is available to read in its entirety here.
Microsoft says that it is sharing its finding, "so voters, government institutions, candidates, parties, and others can be aware of influence campaigns and protect themselves from threats". The company stresses that it has no desire to endorse any candidate or party, saying that its only goal is, "to underscore the importance of combating election deepfakes and promoting education and learning about possible foreign interference".
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