Efforts by Hackers Linked to the Islamic Republic to Target WhatsApp Accounts of Trump and Biden Administration Officials

Meta announced on Friday that it has identified attempts to hack the WhatsApp accounts of officials from the Biden and Trump administrations. Meta attributed these attacks to a hacking group linked to the Islamic Republic, which was revealed earlier this month and is said to have targeted Trump's campaign as well. The parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp described these efforts in a blog post as 'a small cluster of potential social engineering activities on WhatsApp,' which involved accounts posing as technical support for legacy services like AOL, Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft. Meta stated that after users reported these suspicious activities, it blocked the accounts and found no signs of a breach into the targeted WhatsApp accounts. The company linked these activities to the hacking group 'Advanced Threat 42,' which is widely associated with one of Iran's military intelligence units and is known for installing surveillance software on the mobile phones of its victims. This software allows hackers to record calls, steal text messages, and secretly activate cameras and microphones. Meta confirmed the connection of this group to reported hacking efforts by Microsoft and Google earlier this month, which occurred ahead of the U.S. presidential elections in November. In its blog post, Meta did not mention the names of the targeted individuals but noted that the hackers 'seem to have focused on political and diplomatic officials, business figures, and other public individuals, including some associated with the Biden and Trump administrations.' These individuals were based in Israel, Palestinian territories, Iran, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Last week, OpenAI also reported identifying and dismantling some accounts linked to the Islamic Republic that aimed to disrupt the U.S. elections. While Iran's cyber operations have become more sophisticated and aggressive compared to the 1399 elections, former U.S. officials say that these operations may be much less significant than what Russia may have done so far. Most experts expect more hacks and disclosures as the elections approach and are concerned about how the public and media will react. A wave of new reports from government and private sector entities has emerged regarding the increase in biased propaganda from the Russian and Iranian governments concerning the U.S. elections. In this context, channels used to promote political views can be exploited to disseminate hacked data. What does the Islamic Republic seek from interfering in the U.S. elections? A discussion with Payman Sadegh. Can the Islamic Republic really influence the U.S. elections? A discussion with Azita Dadrasan. Amir Giti's explanations on how the Islamic Republic misuses artificial intelligence and cyberspace. Experts warn about disruptions in the U.S. elections following reports of hacking the Trump campaign headquarters. Indictment against a North Korean hacker for cyberattacks on U.S. healthcare and military facilities.