A recent report by The Independent reveals that Vice President Kamala Harris's presidential campaign was targeted by a "foreign actor influence operation."
This disclosure comes just days after former President Donald Trump's campaign claimed Iranian agents had hacked it. The FBI notified Harris's team of the attempted breach last month, and the campaign continues to work with authorities on the matter.
A campaign official stated that robust cybersecurity measures are in place, and they are not aware of any successful security breaches resulting from these efforts.
Vice President Kamala Harris's campaign has been on high alert after being informed by the FBI of a potential breach by a foreign entity. The attack, described as a “foreign actor influence operation,” comes on the heels of similar allegations from Donald Trump’s team, which has pointed to Iran as the culprit behind a recent hacking attempt.
The Harris campaign has reportedly been working closely with federal authorities, including the FBI, to ensure their cybersecurity measures are fortified. According to an anonymous campaign official, the team has "robust cybersecurity measures in place" and, at this time, is not aware of any successful breaches resulting from the foreign influence operation.
However, the FBI’s ongoing investigation into attempts to compromise the Biden-Harris campaign underscores the seriousness of these threats. Spear-phishing emails, a common tactic used by hackers, were allegedly sent to at least three aides connected to the campaign.
In a related development, former President Donald Trump’s campaign has claimed that one of its websites was hacked by the Iranian government. Trump made this assertion in a statement on his Truth Social platform, describing the incident as "never a nice thing to do."
The hacking claims follow the leak of a 271-page internal campaign document related to Republican Senate candidate JD Vance, which was reportedly sent to reporters. The connection between this document leak and the alleged Iranian hacking attempts remains unclear. Nonetheless, the incident has drawn attention to the broader issue of foreign interference in U.S. political campaigns, particularly from Iran.
Microsoft has also been involved in the investigation, revealing that a phishing email from an Iranian intelligence agency was used in an attempt to compromise the account of a high-ranking official within a presidential campaign. The email reportedly originated from the compromised account of Roger Stone, a former senior advisor to Donald Trump.
Roger Stone, through his attorney Grant Smith, has confirmed that he was contacted by both Microsoft and the FBI regarding the hacking attempts. Stone himself described the situation as "all very strange" but expressed his willingness to cooperate with the investigation.
The FBI's broader investigation into these cybersecurity threats continues to evolve. It includes an examination of another unsuccessful attempt to access the account of a former presidential candidate, as well as potential breaches involving a county-level government employee in a swing state.
Meanwhile, a separate Iranian group has reportedly been engaging in efforts to sway American voters through AI-generated propaganda websites, which have been accused of plagiarizing content from U.S. publications. These actions align with a February report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which highlighted the ongoing risks of election interference from foreign powers, including Iran, China, and Russia.
As investigations into these incidents unfold, Harris and Trump's campaigns are actively guarding against threats from foreign entities. The Harris campaign has reinforced its dedication to cybersecurity measures. Meanwhile, allegations by the Trump campaign about Iranian interference introduce further complexity to discussions surrounding election security. With warnings from U.S. intelligence about possible foreign attempts to disrupt the political scene, these recent events highlight the ongoing difficulties that American political campaigns face in protecting their digital resources.
