Iranian hackers targeted staffers affiliated with President Joe Biden’s campaign, attempting to distribute information stolen from former President Donald Trump’s campaign, according to the FBI and other federal agencies. The stolen material was acquired through cyber breaches and the hackers sent unsolicited emails to people connected to the Biden campaign in an effort to interfere with the 2024 election. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), FBI, and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) confirmed this information.
The federal agencies stated that these emails contained excerpts taken from non-public material obtained from Trump’s campaign. Although no responses were reported from recipients, Iranian hackers have continued their efforts since June by sending stolen material associated with Trump’s campaign to U.S. media organizations.
The FBI emphasized that these activities are part of Iran’s broader strategy to disrupt U.S. electoral processes and sow discord. Alongside Russia and China, Iran is actively attempting to exacerbate societal divisions in the United States as the country approaches the November elections.
The FBI has been tracking this activity as part of its role in threat response. They have been in contact with victims and will continue investigating in order to pursue and disrupt those responsible for these cyber attacks.
Authorities warned that foreign actors perceive vulnerabilities during U.S. elections and make efforts to undermine them. The agencies stressed that any attempts by foreign actors or others to undermine democratic institutions are a direct threat that will not be tolerated.
In August, it was announced by the Trump campaign that Iranian hackers had stolen sensitive internal documents which were then leaked to media outlets such as Politico, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. However, none of these outlets have disclosed the contents of those documents.
The Trump campaign issued a statement urging Harris and Biden on Wednesday to clarify whether they used any hacked material for their own purposes during their campaigns.
