Federal prosecutors are preparing to file criminal charges in connection with a cyberattack on email accounts of former President Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign team, according to sources familiar with the matter. The charges, expected as early as next week, stem from an alleged hack attributed to Iran, specifically linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to U.S. officials.
The hackers are alleged to have accessed internal documents and data from Trump advisers, including files used to vet prospective running mates during the 2024 election cycle. As standard practice, Trump’s campaign is expected to be notified once charges are officially filed, as the campaign itself is considered a victim in the case.
Last month, a Microsoft report shed light on the hack. Though it did not directly name Trump’s campaign, Microsoft stated that in June 2024, a group known as “Mint Sandstorm” — run by IRGC’s intelligence arm — carried out a spear-phishing campaign against a high-ranking official in a U.S. presidential campaign. The phishing email used a compromised account of a former senior advisor to send a fake forward, redirecting the recipient to a malicious domain controlled by the hackers.
While Microsoft did not disclose further details, the timing and description of the hack align with sources indicating it was Trump’s campaign that was targeted. The WASHINGTON Post first reported the impending criminal charges.
The email hack is part of a broader pattern of cyber threats from foreign actors attempting to interfere with U.S. elections. Federal officials have been on high alert due to a surge in hacking activities aimed at influencing the 2024 presidential election.
In July, Google revealed that a separate Iranian-linked group, known as APT42, targeted personal email accounts of individuals associated with both the Trump and Biden campaigns. Among those targeted were current and former U.S. government officials, as well as campaign staffers. Google reported blocking numerous attempts by APT42 to infiltrate these personal accounts, demonstrating a coordinated effort to gather intelligence on key political figures.
In its report, Google noted: “In May and June, APT42 targets included the personal email accounts of roughly a dozen individuals affiliated with President Biden and with former President Trump, including current and former officials in the U.S. government.” Like the Microsoft report, Google traced the attacks to Iranian intelligence units associated with the IRGC.
The threat of hacking and disinformation from foreign actors like Iran and Russia continues to loom large over the U.S. election landscape. Meta, parent company of Facebook, also issued a report last month, identifying Russia and Iran as the top two threats when it comes to cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns targeting U.S. elections.
As these incidents highlight, both the U.S. government and private cybersecurity firms are scrambling to safeguard the integrity of the 2024 election process. They have been closely monitoring suspicious activity from state-sponsored groups and issuing advisories to campaigns about potential vulnerabilities.
The exact charges related to the Trump campaign hack have not been officially announced. The Department of Justice is expected to provide more details once charges are filed. The Trump campaign has not yet commented on the latest reports.
Source » diyatvusa