In its latest threat report, Microsoft says Iran is accelerating its Internet activity, which appears destined to influence the upcoming US elections.
According to Microsoft, Iran is accelerating its Internet activity with the intention of influencing the upcoming US elections. According to the technology megacorporation, Iranians have been creating fake news sites for months and posing as activistspreparing the ground for stoke division and potentially influence voters.
Microsoft’s latest threat intelligence report shows how Iran is developing its tactics in the face of the imminent US presidential electionswhich will likely have global implications.
The report goes a step further than what the United States intelligence services have revealed, giving concrete examples of Iranian groups and the actions they have taken so far. However, he does not specify Iran’s intentions beyond wreaking havoc. Iran denied plans to interfere or launch cyberattacks in the US presidential elections.
Microsoft report shows Russia, China and Iran aligned
The Microsoft report also describes how both Russia and China are exploiting political polarization within the United States to promote their own divisive messages in an election year of enormous importance.
Its report identified four examples of recent Iranian activity that the company expects to increase as the November elections approach.
- A group linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard attacked a senior US presidential campaign official with a phishing email in June.
- The Iranian group tried log into an account of a former presidential candidatebut he did not succeed, according to the report. The company notified those affected.
- Another Iranian group that created websites posing as American news sitesaimed at voters on opposite sides of the political spectrum.
- A fake news site insulted US presidential candidate Donald Trump by calling him “crazy” and insinuating that he uses drugs.
Iran defends itself against accusations
“Iran has been the victim of numerous offensive cyber operations directed against its infrastructure, public service centers and industries. Iran’s cyber capabilities are defensive and proportionate to the threats it faces. Iran has no intention or plans to launch cyber attacks. “The US presidential election is an internal matter in which Iran does not interfere.”
Microsoft’s conclusions coincide with recent warnings from US intelligence serviceswho claim that foreign agents are determined to spread false claims ahead of the November elections.
