Google has revealed that an ongoing Iranian hacking campaign targeting people associated with the 2024 US presidential election is more extensive than previously reported.
According to Google, the hacking group, linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), has been attempting to breach the personal email accounts of individuals connected to President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and former President Donald Trump, among others.
In a recent blog post, Google disclosed that in May and June, the Iranian hackers targeted the personal email accounts of about a dozen people linked to Biden and Trump, including current government officials.
Despite their efforts, the hackers have so far been unsuccessful in accessing the accounts.
Earlier this week, it was reported that these hackers had compromised the personal email account of Roger Stone, a long-time Republican operative, in an attempt to infiltrate Trump’s campaign.
Google confirmed that the hackers had successfully accessed the Gmail account of a “high-profile political consultant,” although the identity of the consultant remains undisclosed.
The company has shared details of the hacking activity with law enforcement and continues to cooperate in the ongoing investigation.
The Harris campaign acknowledged on Tuesday that it had been targeted by foreign actors but stated that there were no known breaches of its systems.
US intelligence officials have warned that foreign interference in the 2024 election is likely, with Iran’s hacking campaign being one of the first significant threats identified.
Senators Mark Warner and Marco Rubio, leaders of the Senate Intelligence Committee, issued a joint statement expressing concern over the increasing efforts by foreign adversaries to disrupt the democratic process.
While the US government has yet to officially attribute the recent hacking and document leaks to Iran, the Trump campaign has pointed fingers at the Iranian government.
Tehran, however, has denied any involvement in efforts to interfere with the US election.
Google has advised both presidential campaigns to enhance the security of their email accounts in light of the increased malicious activity from foreign state actors.
