A group of Iranian hackers recently accused of targeting the Democratic and Republican presidential campaigns tried to access the WhatsApp accounts of members of Joe Biden and Donald Trump’s leadership teams, Meta reported today.
The parent company of social media sites including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp said it had discovered a network of “hackers” posing as tech support agents for companies including Microsoft and Google after they were reported by people who had received suspicious messages from WhatsApp.
Meta-researchers linked the activity to the same network responsible for the cyberattack reported by the Trump campaign in the November US presidential election.
The FBI (federal police) emphasized this week that Iran’s cyberattack on the Trump campaign and the attempted hack of the Biden-Harris campaign are part of a broader effort by Tehran to interfere in the election.
In a statement released today, Meta said the hackers had attempted to access WhatsApp accounts belonging to people in the Middle East, the United States and the United Kingdom, as well as political and diplomatic officials, including members of the administrations led by the current head of North Korea, Democrat Joe Biden, and former Republican President Donald Trump.
Meta blocked a “small group” of accounts, the company explained.
“We have not seen evidence of compromise of WhatsApp accounts, but out of an abundance of caution we are sharing our findings publicly and also sharing information with law enforcement and our industry peers,” Meta said.
U.S. intelligence officials warn that Iran’s increasingly aggressive use of cyberattacks and disinformation is aimed at confusing and polarizing voters in an attempt to undermine confidence in American democracy, undermine support for Israel and counteract candidates it believes will exacerbate tensions between Washington and Iran.
Tehran has vowed revenge against Trump, whose administration tore up the Iran nuclear deal, reimposed sanctions and ordered the killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.
In July, National Clandestine Service (NCS) Director Avril Haines emphasized that the Iranian government had been secretly supporting North American protests against Israel’s war in Gaza.
Iran-linked groups posed as online activists, encouraged protests on college campuses and provided financial support to some protest groups, Haynes said.