Iran Government a 'Major Threat' in Spreading Misinformation Related to U.S. Elections; Merrick Garland Warns Islamic Republic

The New York Times, citing U.S. government officials, digital company leaders, and Iran experts, reports that the Islamic Republic's recent propaganda and misinformation campaigns have become 'more brazen, diverse, and ambitious.' At the same time, the U.S. Attorney General warned the Islamic Republic about 'interference in U.S. elections and undermining democracy' in the country. The New York Times notes the Islamic Republic's attempts to infiltrate the election campaigns of Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, candidates from the Republican and Democratic parties, stating that they pursue a broader goal of creating internal divisions and discrediting the U.S. democratic system. A member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and another individual working in Iran's state media and information sector, both familiar with the Islamic Republic's misinformation campaign, told the New York Times that a vast network of IRGC-affiliated infiltrators and hackers includes shell companies controlled by the IRGC. This IRGC member stated that the Iranian government has employed a network of individuals using fictitious names to leverage social media for promoting the Islamic Republic's viewpoints. He added that the Islamic Republic also commissions projects to technology companies and startups within Iran, some of which are unaware of the true objectives of these programs. The two individuals, whose identities were not disclosed by the New York Times, also mentioned that the Islamic Republic has increased its intelligence operations resources in light of the widespread protests of 'Women, Life, Freedom' in Iran. According to them, government agents scour Iranian universities to attract elite technology graduates with high salaries, research budgets, and workspaces. They stated that the Islamic Republic is not overly concerned about the final outcome of the U.S. elections, believing that Washington's hostility transcends any political party in the United States. The Iranian government's broader goal for infiltrating online campaigns is to create unrest, polarize the environment, and position itself alongside Russia and China as a geopolitical power. Recently, CNN reported new details about the years-long operations of Iranian hackers targeting former members of the Trump and Biden administrations. The email security provider Proofpoint stated that the Iranian hacker group used similar methods against a spokesperson for a U.S. official in 2021 and possesses custom malware that can be used for more subtle attacks. Joshua Miller, a researcher at Proofpoint, said this Iranian group actively targets politicians and campaign staff, with several Iranian groups posing as journalists to approach their targets. A spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council previously emphasized that the Biden administration 'strongly condemns any foreign government or entity attempting to interfere in our electoral process or seeking to undermine trust in our democratic institutions.' U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland warned the Islamic Republic on Wednesday, September 14, stating that, as the U.S. intelligence community indicated two weeks ago, there has been an increase in aggressive activities by the Iranian government during this election period. He noted that these activities include the Islamic Republic's actions to jeopardize Donald Trump's campaign and influence the election outcome that the Iranian government perceives as contrary to its interests. Merrick Garland stated, 'Our message is clear; we will show no tolerance for authoritarian governments attempting to exploit our democratic system.' He added that we will be relentlessly aggressive against the efforts of Russia, the Iranian government, as well as China or any other malign foreign actor intending to interfere in elections and undermine our democracy. The FBI, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued a joint statement in August warning about the Iranian government's attempts to influence the 2024 U.S. presidential election. They informed campaign teams to consider necessary security measures, including using official emails only for official matters, not opening suspicious emails, updating software, using strong passwords, and enabling multi-factor authentication. These three organizations stated that the Iranian government seeks to create divisions and undermine public trust in U.S. democratic institutions and has a long-standing interest in exploiting social tensions through various means, including cyber operations to access sensitive information related to U.S. elections. Warnings from U.S. intelligence and cybersecurity agencies about efforts by Iranian-linked hackers to deploy ransomware. CNN's report on Iranian-linked hackers' operations ahead of the U.S. presidential election. Experts warn of disruptions in the U.S. elections following reports of hacking the Trump campaign. The White House: Recent Iranian hacking operations in the U.S. are a fresh warning to strengthen cybersecurity. Axios: Iranian-backed hackers have increased their activities in the region. Germany warns Iranian opposition: Hackers are lurking for you. Microsoft: Aimenet Pasargad is behind the cyberattack on Charlie Hebdo magazine. Iranian-backed hackers have found a way to read emails.