Breaking News: Iranian Hackers Charged with Targeting Trump Campaign - U.S. Department of Justice
The U.S. Department of Justice has announced criminal charges against three hackers linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), accusing them of a four-year hacking campaign, including targeting Donald Trump's presidential campaign this year.
According to the indictment, the hackers - Masoud Jalili, Seyyed Ali Aghamiri, and Yasar (Yaser) Balaghi - targeted the Trump campaign, former White House officials, and members of Congress as part of a hack-and-leak operation. The operation was reportedly launched in retaliation for the killing of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani by the Trump administration in 2020.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland stated that the Iranian hacking campaign aimed to influence the upcoming 2024 presidential election. The indictment revealed that the operation sought to erode confidence in the U.S. electoral process by compromising online accounts of senior government officials and stealing campaign material for media leaks.
News organizations such as Politico, The New York Times, and The Washington Post received documents allegedly stolen from the Trump campaign, resembling the hack-and-leak operation orchestrated by Russia in 2016. However, unlike 2016, the media refrained from reporting on the content of the documents.
Subsequent investigations by the FBI, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and CISA attributed the hack-and-leak operation to the Iranian government. Microsoft and Google also accused Iranian government-backed hackers of targeting individuals affiliated with both the Trump and Biden campaigns.
In response to the hacking incident, independent journalist Ken Klippenstein published a 271-page dossier on Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance, emphasizing the public interest in the information.
In conclusion, the Iranian hacking campaign highlights the ongoing threat of foreign interference in U.S. elections and underscores the importance of cybersecurity measures in safeguarding democratic processes. It serves as a reminder for individuals and organizations to remain vigilant against cyber threats and protect sensitive information from malicious actors.