Meta Blocks Iranian Hacker Network Posing as Microsoft and Google Tech Support
The same Iranian hacker group is believed to have targeted both Democratic and Republican presidential campaigns attempted to monitor the WhatsApp accounts of staffers in the administrations of President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, Meta Platform said on Friday.
Meta said It has discovered the hacker network.People posing as technical support staff for companies including Microsoft And Googleafter individuals who received suspicious WhatsApp messages reported the activity. Meta investigators linked the activity to the same network blamed for the cyberattack reported by the Trump campaign.
FBI this week said Iran’s cyberattack on the Trump campaign and its efforts to infiltrate the Biden-Harris campaign were part of a larger effort by Iran to interfere in the US presidential election.
A statement Friday from Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, said hackers attempted to target the WhatsApp accounts of individuals in the Middle East, the United States and the United Kingdom, as well as political and diplomatic officials — including unidentified officials associated with the Trump and Biden administrations. A “small group” of accounts were blocked by Meta, the company said.
“We have not seen any evidence that the targeted WhatsApp accounts were compromised, but out of an abundance of caution, we will share our findings publicly, in addition to sharing information with law enforcement and industry peers,” Meta said in a statement.
US intelligence officials say Iran increasingly aggressive The use of cyberattacks and disinformation has several motives: to confuse and polarize voters to undermine faith in US democracy, to erode support for Israel and to oppose candidates they believe will increase tensions between Washington and Iran.
Iran has vowed revenge against Trump, whose administration end nuclear deal with iranre-impose sanctions and orders kill of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.
In July, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said the Iranian government had provided covert support to American protests against Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. Iran-linked groups pose as activists online, encouraged school protest and provided financial support to some protest groups, Haines said.
Messages sent to the Trump and Harris campaigns were not immediately returned Friday.
