Iran has stepped up cyber operations that may be aimed at influencing the upcoming US presidential election, Microsoft warned in a threat intelligence report on Friday.

The tech giant claimed it cybernetic Iran's activity has been on the rise in recent months, with foreign groups attempting to use artificial intelligence and other scams in efforts explicitly aimed at election interference. seconds in the report. Iranian groups have allegedly created several news sites posing as US media targeting specific voting groups and feeding divisive information that appears to be aimed at raising tensions in the election.

“Over the past several months, we have seen the emergence of significant influence activity by Iranian actors,” Microsoft said in the report. “Going forward, we expect Iranian actors to use cyberattacks against institutions and candidates while intensifying their efforts to amplify existing divisive issues in the US, such as racial tensions, economic disparities, and gender-related issues.” .

A news site called Nio Thinker is full of content aimed at former President Donald Trump and targets a left-leaning audience, referring to the Republican nominee as “the elephant with opioid pills in the MAGA china shop ” and “crazy lithosaurus raving”. according to the report. Microsoft also singled out the Savannah Time, which focuses on gender identity issues and calls itself a “trusted source for conservative news in the vibrant city of Savannah.”

Another Iranian group is believed to be preparing for “even more extreme activities, such as intimidation or incitement to violence against political figures or groups, with the ultimate goal of inciting chaos, undermining the authorities and cast doubt on electoral integrity,” Microsoft said. The group has been making efforts since March, according to Microsoft.

An intelligence group linked to the intelligence unit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) attempted to hack an account belonging to a former presidential candidate after sending a phishing email from the account from a compromised former senior adviser to a senior official in the presidential campaign. An independent Iranian group successfully gained access to the account of a government employee in the swing state, which Microsoft believes is part of a broader effort to recover vital information to inform Iran's elections. interference initiatives, especially those aimed at swing states.

Microsoft stated in a previous report that during the 2020 presidential election, “Iran launched multiple cyber influence operations that posed as American extremists and attempted to sow discord among US voters and incite to violence against US government officials.”

Microsoft said it continues to monitor the threat and is advising candidates and parties on how to protect themselves.

Microsoft did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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