August 10th 2024.
The presidential campaign of former President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that they had fallen victim to a hack, with evidence suggesting that Iranian actors were responsible for stealing and leaking sensitive internal documents. While no specific proof was provided, the claim comes on the heels of a report by Microsoft detailing efforts by foreign agents to interfere in the 2024 US campaign.
According to the report, an Iranian military intelligence unit attempted to access the email account of a high-ranking official in a presidential campaign through a phishing email in June. Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung attributed the hack to "foreign sources hostile to the United States," but the National Security Council has not yet responded to a request for comment.
The first news outlet to report on the hack was Politico, who received emails from an anonymous account on July 22. The emails contained what appeared to be a research dossier on Ohio Senator JD Vance, who was at the time a potential vice presidential nominee for the Republican party. The documents were dated February 23, months before Trump ultimately chose Vance as his running mate.
Cheung condemned the leak as illegal and an attempt to disrupt the 2024 election and undermine the democratic process. He referenced the Microsoft report, which revealed that Iranian hackers had gained access to the account of a high-ranking official in a US presidential campaign in June 2024, around the same time that Trump announced his running mate.
Cheung also issued a warning to any media or news outlets that published the leaked documents, accusing them of aiding America's enemies and playing into their agenda. In response to the Microsoft report, Iran's United Nations mission denied any plans to interfere in the US election.
The Trump campaign has not yet responded to questions about their communication with Microsoft regarding the hack. Microsoft has also declined to comment further on the matter, beyond their original blog post and report.
According to the report, foreign interference in the 2024 US election has been steadily increasing, with operations initially being attributed to Russia, but more recently being linked to Iran. The report notes that Iranian cyberattacks have been a consistent factor in the last three US election cycles, with their methods differing from those used by Russia. The report also suggests that both the Kremlin and the Iranian regime may be involved in influencing the 2024 election.
Specifically, the report details how in June 2024, an Iranian military intelligence unit sent a phishing email to an American presidential campaign through a compromised account. The email contained a false forward with a link that redirected to a domain controlled by the hackers before leading to the intended destination.
The campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for the 2024 election, has not yet responded to requests for comment on the hack or their cybersecurity measures. For those interested in following the 2024 US election, every moment and every medal will be broadcast live and free on Channel 9 and 9Now, with ad-free and 4K coverage available on Stan Sport. The world will be watching as the Olympic Games Paris 2024 unfold.
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