The U.S. Department of Justice has disclosed the indictment of three Iranian nationals, affiliates of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), accused of a hacking campaign designed to disturb the upcoming 2024 U.S. Presidential Election. The individuals, Masoud Jalili, Seyyed Ali Aghamiri, and Yaser Balaghi, face multiple charges relating to identity theft, hacking, and conspiring to influence U.S. political processes. This hacking endeavor is seen as part of Iran’s broader efforts to incite discord and undermine confidence in American democratic institutions.
In or around May 2024, it’s reported that these actors commenced targeting individuals with links to the U.S. Presidential campaigns, stealing sensitive documents and emails, according to a U.S. Attorney’s Office statement. By late June, they undertook a “hack-and-leak” operation aimed to discredit one of the presidential campaigns by leaking stolen materials to media entities and individuals associated with a competing campaign. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland emphasized that “the Justice Department is working relentlessly to uncover and counter Iran’s cyberattacks aimed at stoking discord, undermining confidence in our democratic institutions, and influencing our elections.”
The accused utilized sophisticated cyber techniques, including spearphishing and social engineering, to breach and obtain unauthorized access to victims’ information. The coordinated attacks involved using VPNs and fake email accounts bearing the names of recognized U.S. entities and individuals to acquire login credentials. As a result, information concerning the Middle East U.S. foreign policy and non-public campaign materials were among the data compromised, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office indictment.
The indictments come as a part of an extensive investigation led by the FBI Washington Field Office. Assistance to the case has come from both public and private sectors, including tech giants Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, and Meta. “The defendants’ hack-to-leak scheme is one of the Iranian government’s latest ploys to erode public trust in the U.S. presidential election process,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg via U.S. Attorney’s Office website. Sentencing for Jalili, Aghamiri, and Balaghi will be at the discretion of a federal judge pending conviction, with potential sentences relying on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The State Department has issued a reward of up to $10 million through the Rewards for Justice Program for information on the indicted individuals or about the IRGC’s meddling in U.S. elections. Simultaneously, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) has designated sanctions against Jalili for engaging in cyber-enabled activities that significantly threaten the national security and stability of the United States.
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