The effort from four separate groups includes both hacking attempts and fake news campaigns, according to the company.
Iran is increasing its online activity in an effort to influence the upcoming US election, Microsoft said Friday. This includes targeting a presidential campaign with a phishing email attack.
Iranian actors have also created fake news sites and impersonated activists, laying the groundwork to stoke division and potentially sway American voters this fall, especially in swing states.
The report from Microsoft shows how Iran, which has been active in recent US campaign cycles, is evolving its tactics for another election that’s likely to have global implications. The report goes beyond what US intelligence officials have disclosed, giving specific examples of Iranian groups and their actions.
The report doesn’t specify Iran’s intentions, but US officials have previously hinted that Iran opposes former President Donald Trump.
Microsoft’s report identified four examples of recent Iranian activity that the company expects to increase as November’s election draws closer.
First, a group linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard in June targeted a high-ranking US presidential campaign official with a phishing email, a form of cyberattack often used to gather sensitive information.
The group concealed the email’s origins by sending it from the hacked email account of a former senior adviser.
Days later, the Iranian group tried to log into an account that belonged to a former presidential candidate, but wasn’t successful.
In a separate example, an Iranian group has been creating websites that pose as US-based news sites targeted to voters on opposite sides of the political spectrum.
One fake news site insults Trump, while another site is designed to appeal to Republican readers.
A third example Microsoft cited found that Iranian groups are impersonating US activists, potentially laying the groundwork for influence operations closer to the election.
Finally, another Iranian group in May compromised an account owned by a government employee in a swing state.
Iran’s UN mission denied any plans to interfere or launch cyberattacks in the US presidential election.
The Microsoft report also found that Russia and China are exploiting US political polarization to advance their own divisive messaging in a consequential election year.
Microsoft said it has continued to monitor how foreign foes are using generative AI technology, which can generate lifelike fake images, photos, and videos in seconds.
While many countries have experimented with AI in their influence operations, the company said, those efforts haven’t had much impact so far.
