The FBI and different companies stated the hackers additionally tried to ship the stolen materials to U.S. media retailers.
Iranian hackers focused staffers affiliated with President Joe Biden’s marketing campaign, earlier than he dropped out of the presidential race, making an attempt to distribute data stolen from former President Donald Trump’s marketing campaign, the FBI and different federal companies stated Wednesday.
The stolen personal materials had been acquired by the Iranian actors by cyber breaches. The hackers despatched unsolicited emails to individuals linked to the Biden marketing campaign in an effort to intervene with the 2024 election, based on the Workplace of the Director of Nationwide Intelligence (ODNI), the FBI, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Safety Company (CISA).
In keeping with a joint assertion issued by the federal companies, the emails “contained an excerpt taken from stolen, personal materials from former President Trump’s marketing campaign as textual content within the emails.”
Whereas no responses from the recipients have been reported, the federal companies stated Iranian hackers “have continued their efforts since June to ship stolen, personal materials related to former President Trump’s marketing campaign to U.S. media organizations.”
The FBI reiterated that these actions are a part of Iran’s broader technique to disrupt U.S. electoral processes and sow discord.
Iran, together with Russia and China, is actively making an attempt to exacerbate societal divisions in the US because the nation approaches the November elections, the companies stated.
“Because the lead for menace response, the FBI has been monitoring this exercise, has been in touch with the victims, and can proceed to analyze and collect data to be able to pursue and disrupt the menace actors accountable,” the assertion stated.
Authorities warned that overseas actors view the US as susceptible throughout elections and make efforts to undermine it.
“Efforts by these, or different overseas actors, to undermine our democratic establishments are a direct menace to the U.S. and won’t be tolerated,” the companies stated.
The Trump marketing campaign introduced on Aug. 10 that Iranian hackers had stolen and leaked delicate inside paperwork to media retailers together with Politico, The New York Occasions, and The Washington Submit. To this point, not one of the retailers have disclosed the contents.
The Trump marketing campaign issued a press release Wednesday urging Harris and Biden to make clear whether or not they used the hacked materials.
“That is additional proof the Iranians are actively interfering within the election to assist Kamala Harris and Joe Biden as a result of they know President Trump will restore his robust sanctions and stand towards their reign of terror,” stated Karoline Leavitt, the Trump marketing campaign nationwide press secretary.
Morgan Finkelstein, a spokesperson for Vice President Kamala Harris’s marketing campaign, stated the marketing campaign has cooperated with regulation enforcement.
“We’re not conscious of any materials being despatched on to the marketing campaign; just a few people have been focused on their private emails with what seemed like a spam or phishing try,” Finkelstein stated.
The Related Press contributed to this report.