According to Reuters, the FBI has launched an investigation into claims from Donald Trump's presidential campaign that state-sponsored hackers from Iran targeted it.
The probe also includes alleged hacking attempts on advisers to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris's campaign, which was reported to have begun in June and was uncovered by Microsoft.
On Monday, the FBI announced it was looking into allegations of a cyber attack on Donald Trump's presidential campaign. The claims, initially raised by Trump's campaign, accuse the Iranian government of orchestrating the hack.
According to Trump, Microsoft informed his campaign on Saturday that Iranian hackers had breached one of its websites. Despite the intrusion, Trump emphasized that the hackers from Iran managed to access only publicly available information.
The investigation is not limited to Trump's campaign. It also encompasses alleged cyberattacks targeting advisers of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. These attempts are believed to have started in June when Biden was still in the race for president.
The Washington Post has reported that the FBI suspects that Iran is behind these breaches in an effort to steal sensitive data from both presidential campaigns. Kamala Harris’s team has not yet responded to requests for comments regarding the situation.
Trump's campaign cited a report from Microsoft researchers released on Friday as evidence of Iran's involvement. This report indicated that hackers linked to the Iranian government had attempted to compromise an account belonging to a "high-ranking official" connected to a U.S. presidential campaign in June.
The same report revealed that the hackers had taken control of an account held by a former political adviser. They then used this compromised account in an attempt to target the high-ranking official. The report did not disclose the identities of the targets involved.
Despite these allegations and the ongoing investigation, the Iranian government has consistently denied any involvement in hacking Trump's campaign. The narrative from Trump's campaign is that these cyber activities represent a coordinated effort by Iran to interfere with the election process.
Donald Trump's assertion that hackers can only access publicly available information aims to downplay any potential damage caused by a cyber attack. However, the full scope and impact of the breach remain under investigation by the FBI.
Kamala Harris’s status in the presidential race adds another layer of complexity to the investigation. Harris became the Democratic presidential nominee following Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race the previous month. Her campaign has yet to issue an official comment regarding the alleged hack.
The FBI’s efforts will be critical in determining the veracity and impact of these hacking accusations. This investigation highlights the increasing threats of cyber intrusions in the democratic electoral process, particularly from foreign state actors.
The FBI is actively investigating allegations of hacking attempts on both Donald Trump’s and the Biden-Harris campaigns, believed to be orchestrated by Iranian state actors. While Trump asserts that only public information was accessed, the investigation’s broader implications highlight the significant impact of cyber threats on political processes.
