Reuters Report on Actions of 'IRGC-Linked Hackers': Recording Calls, Stealing Texts, and Activating Phone Cameras and Microphones

Reuters reports, citing experts, that hackers linked to the Islamic Republic targeting the 2024 U.S. presidential campaign of Republican candidate Donald Trump have a long history of cyberattacks. According to experts, these hackers deploy surveillance software on victims' mobile phones, allowing them to record calls, steal texts, and discreetly activate cameras and microphones. It is believed that these hackers, identified by cybersecurity research groups as 'APT 42' or 'Charming Kitten', are linked to the IRGC's intelligence organization. Reuters, citing informed sources, states that the presence of these hackers in the U.S. elections is significant due to their espionage-aggressive approach against valuable targets in Washington and Israel. A senior cybersecurity analyst notes that 'APT 42' hackers are very dangerous and have previously hacked the mobile phones of activists and opponents of the Islamic Republic, leading to imprisonment or physical harm for some of them. A spokesperson for the Islamic Republic's permanent mission to the United Nations in New York claimed in an interview with Reuters that the Iranian government has no intention or motivation to interfere in the U.S. presidential elections. Donald Trump's spokespeople assert that the Islamic Republic targets the former president and current Republican candidate due to dissatisfaction with Trump's policies towards Tehran. The 'APT 42' hackers who targeted Trump's campaign have not yet been officially charged with criminal actions in the U.S., but cybersecurity experts consider them a 'significant threat'. A senior security officer and former special agent of the U.S. Secret Service told Reuters that the IRGC is responsible for gathering intelligence to defend and advance the interests of the Islamic Republic. According to him, they, along with the Quds Force, are the most powerful security and intelligence entities within Iran. These hackers use malware that allows them to access the contents and geographic data of the victim's mobile phone. 'APT 42' hackers typically target victims by impersonating journalists and well-known think tanks in Washington, employing complex social engineering operations based on phishing emails to infiltrate their mobile phones or computers. They select limited victims, including activists and opponents of the Islamic Republic, journalists, academics, foreign policy advisors, Western officials, and American military contractors, as their preferred targets. This week, the FBI, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued a joint statement warning about the Iranian government's efforts to interfere in the 2024 U.S. presidential elections. They advised campaign offices to implement 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. The three organizations stated that the Iranian government seeks to create discord and undermine public trust in U.S. democratic institutions, and has a longstanding interest in exploiting social tensions through various means, including cyber operations to access sensitive information related to U.S. elections. Experts' warnings about disruptions in U.S. elections follow reports of hacking attempts on Trump's campaign headquarters, criminal charges against a North Korean hacker for cyberattacks on U.S. medical and military facilities, revelations of a cyberattack on OpenAI and cover-ups posing threats to U.S. national security, and the U.S. offering up to $10 million in rewards for information about three sanctioned Iranian hackers. The Israeli National Cyber Directorate warned to be cautious of 'update' emails from Iranian hackers, while the White House stated that recent Iranian hacking operations in the U.S. serve as a fresh warning to strengthen cybersecurity. Germany has also warned opponents of the Islamic Republic that hackers are lurking.