US intelligence agencies have exposed a cyber espionage attempt by Iran to influence the 2020 presidential election. The FBI, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) revealed that in late June and early July 2020, Iranian hackers sent unsolicited emails to individuals associated with then-presidential candidate Joe Biden’s campaign. These emails contained stolen, non-public information from former President Donald Trump’s campaign.
The agencies confirmed that the Biden campaign did not respond to these emails. Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign, then running with Biden, acknowledged receiving the phishing emails and confirmed that they cooperated with law enforcement authorities. The Trump campaign, however, alleged that the Biden campaign might have utilized the leaked information, demanding clarification from Harris and Biden.
The revelation of Iran’s involvement comes amidst heightened tensions between Iran and Western nations. Recent accusations of Iran supplying missiles to Russia for the Ukraine conflict, vehemently denied by Iran, add to the strained relationship. This incident further highlights the growing trend of foreign interference in US elections.
Meta Platforms Inc. recently thwarted an Iranian hacking attempt targeting figures linked to both Biden and Trump. The hackers, known as APT42, were blocked from using WhatsApp to carry out their operations. OpenAI also uncovered an Iranian influence operation using ChatGPT to manipulate public opinion during the 2024 elections, codenamed Storm-2035. This operation aimed to spread disinformation through social media and fake news outlets.
The revelation of this Iranian hacking attempt comes after a Russian disinformation campaign that falsely accused Harris of a hit-and-run incident. These events underscore the ongoing efforts by foreign actors to influence US politics. While there is no evidence of the Biden campaign responding to the Iranian emails, the incident serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerability of US elections to foreign interference.
