Iranian state-backed hackers, identified as part of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards, recently disrupted TV streaming services in the United Arab Emirates, according to a recent Guardian report<\/a>. They broadcasted a deepfake newsreader delivering a fabricated report on the war in Gaza, as reported<\/a> by Microsoft analysts. This operation, dubbed \u201cFor Humanity\u201d by the hackers, involved an AI-generated news anchor presenting unverified images purportedly showing Palestinians harmed by Israeli military actions in Gaza. The Iranian-backed hackers, known as Cotton Sandstorm, showcased their intrusion into three online streaming services on the Telegram messaging platform, interrupting news channels with the fake broadcaster.<\/p>\n In one instance, Dubai residents using a HK1RBOXX set-top box encountered a message claiming the necessity of hacking to deliver a message, followed by the AI-generated anchor introducing \u201cgraphic\u201d footage and a ticker detailing casualties in Gaza. The disruptions extended to Canada and the U.K., affecting channels including the BBC, though the BBC itself was not directly hacked.<\/p>\n This incident marks the first time Microsoft has detected an Iranian influence operation leveraging AI<\/a> as a significant component of its messaging. It represents a notable escalation in the scope of Iranian operations since the onset of the Israel-Hamas conflict, reaching audiences in the UAE, U.K., and Canada.<\/p>\n The rise of generative AI, capable of producing convincing text, voice<\/a>, and images<\/a> from simple prompts, has led to an increase in deepfake content online. Such technology poses a risk of being used to disrupt elections, including the upcoming 2024 U.S. presidential election. Iran\u2019s history of targeting the 2020 U.S. election with cyber-campaigns, including impersonating American extremists and spreading disinformation about voting infrastructure, underscores the potential threat posed by these capabilities.<\/p>\n Microsoft\u2019s report highlights the broad range of cyber-attacks and online influence operations launched by Iranian state-backed actors since the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7. These tactics have included exaggerating the impact of cyber-attacks, leaking personal data from an Israeli university, and targeting pro-Israel countries like Albania and Bahrain, as well as the U.S.<\/p>\nDeepfakes and election disruption<\/h2>\n
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