- Iran hacked Trump campaign, attempted hack of Harris campaign, US intelligence confirms
- Iran’s actions were intended to “stoke discord and undermine confidence in our democratic institutions”
- Iranian hackers likely also targeted Kamala Harris’s campaign
- The Trump campaign was reportedly hit by a spear-phishing email
Iran hacked Trump campaign, US intelligence confirms
US intelligence officials have confirmed that Iran was behind a recent hack targeting Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. In a joint statement, the FBI and other federal agencies said Iran’s actions were intended to “stoke discord and undermine confidence in our democratic institutions.” The Trump campaign first pointed to Iran on August 10, accusing it of hacking internal communications, a claim that Iranian officials denied.
Sources familiar with the investigation revealed that Iranian hackers likely also targeted Kamala Harris’s campaign. US intelligence noted that Iran has been using social engineering tactics to gain access to individuals connected to both political parties. These actions are seen as attempts to influence the US election process.
The Trump campaign was reportedly hit by a spear-phishing email, designed to trick recipients into clicking on a malicious link. Although the Harris campaign also experienced a similar attack, it was unsuccessful.
The intelligence agencies, including the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, highlighted that such tactics have been used before, notably by Russia and Iran in previous elections. It remains unclear what, if any, sensitive information was compromised in the Trump campaign hack, though some media outlets reported receiving leaked details.