"Iranian Hackers Target Trump, Harris Campaigns: Google Reports"

Google reports that Iranian-backed hackers are targeting the political campaigns of Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. This development highlights significant cybersecurity threats in the 2024 U.S. elections. The attacks are part of broader efforts to interfere with and influence the electoral process. The situation underscores ongoing concerns about cyber threats and foreign interference in American politics.

On Tuesday, Kamala Harris’s campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination reported that it had come under attack by foreign hackers. This announcement came shortly after Donald Trump’s campaign claimed that it had been targeted by Iranian hackers.

‍Washington: Google confirmed on Tuesday that Iranian-backed hackers are targeting the presidential campaigns of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. The hacking group, known as "APT42" and linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has targeted high-profile individuals and organizations in both Israel and the United States, including political campaigns and government officials, according to a threat report from Google.

Kamala Harris’s campaign reported on Tuesday that it had been targeted by foreign hackers, following a similar claim from Donald Trump's campaign that it had been hacked by Iran.

A Harris campaign official told AFP, "In July, the campaign's legal and security teams were notified by the FBI about a foreign actor influence operation targeting us." The official added, "We have robust cybersecurity measures in place and are not aware of any breaches resulting from these efforts."

Google's threat analysis group continues to monitor attempts by APT42 to compromise the personal accounts of individuals affiliated with President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Donald Trump. The hackers use sophisticated phishing techniques to obtain login credentials, often posing as credible contacts or organizations to deceive victims into revealing their information.

The report noted that APT42 had used phishing tactics by creating fake video meeting landing pages to trick targets into providing their login credentials. Google previously disrupted APT42's attempts to hack the campaigns of Biden and Trump in 2020. In May and June of this year, the group targeted the personal email accounts of about a dozen individuals associated with the Biden and Trump campaigns, with Google blocking numerous login attempts by APT42.

Google also reported that the hackers accessed the personal Gmail account of an influential political consultant. The tech firm described APT42 as a sophisticated and persistent threat actor with a track record of simultaneous phishing campaigns, particularly against targets in Israel and the United States.

Google has advised high-risk individuals involved in the upcoming election to stay vigilant and utilize enhanced security measures offered by the company. Following the Trump campaign's announcement of the hack, the US State Department warned Iran of potential consequences for election interference.

The Trump campaign suggested that Iran was behind the breach that exposed private documents, including research used to vet his running mate, J.D. Vance. The campaign cautioned media outlets against publishing these documents, claiming it would aid America's adversaries. This stance contrasts with Trump’s 2016 comments, where he encouraged Russia to find Hillary Clinton's emails, a remark seen as inviting further hacking efforts.

US intelligence agencies concluded that Russia intervened in the 2016 election to support Trump, a conclusion Trump has consistently disputed.

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