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Iran<\/a>\u00a0is accelerating online activity that appears intended to influence the\u00a0U.S. election<\/a>, in one case targeting a presidential campaign with an email phishing attack, Microsoft<\/a> said Friday.<\/p>\n Iranian actors also have spent recent months creating fake news sites and impersonating activists, laying the groundwork to stoke division and\u00a0potentially sway American voters<\/a>\u00a0this fall, especially in swing states, the technology giant found.<\/p>\n The findings in Microsoft\u2019s newest threat intelligence report show how Iran, which has been\u00a0active in recent U.S. elections,<\/a>\u00a0is evolving its tactics for another election that\u2019s likely to have global implications. The report goes a step beyond anything U.S. intelligence officials have disclosed, giving specific examples of Iranian groups and the actions they have taken so far. Iran\u2019s United Nations mission denied it had plans to interfere or launch cyberattacks in the U.S. presidential election.<\/p>\n The report doesn\u2019t specify Iran\u2019s intentions besides sowing chaos in the United States, though U.S. officials have previously hinted that Iran particularly opposes former President Donald Trump. U.S. officials also have expressed alarm about Tehran\u2019s efforts to seek retaliation for\u00a0a 2020 strike on an Iranian general<\/a>\u00a0that was ordered by Trump. This week, the Justice Department unsealed criminal charges against a Pakistani man with ties to Iran who\u2019s alleged to have\u00a0hatched assassination plots targeting multiple officials<\/a>, potentially including Trump.<\/p>\n The report also reveals how Russia and China are exploiting U.S. political polarization to advance their own divisive messaging in a consequential election year.<\/p>\n Microsoft\u2019s report identified four examples of recent Iranian activity that the company expects to increase as November\u2019s election draws closer.<\/p>\n First, a group linked to Iran\u2019s Revolutionary Guard in June targeted a high-ranking U.S. presidential campaign official with a phishing email, a form of cyberattack often used to gather sensitive information, according to the report, which didn\u2019t identify which campaign was targeted. The group concealed the email\u2019s origins by sending it from the hacked email account of a former senior adviser, Microsoft said.<\/p>\n Days later, the Iranian group tried to log into an account that belonged to a former presidential candidate, but wasn\u2019t successful, Microsoft\u2019s report said. The company notified those who were targeted.<\/p>\n In a separate example, an Iranian group has been creating websites that pose as U.S.-based news sites targeted to voters on opposite sides of the political spectrum, the report said.<\/p>\n One fake news site that lends itself to a left-leaning audience insults Trump by calling him \u201craving mad\u201d and suggests he uses drugs, the report said. Another site meant to appeal to Republican readers centers on LGBTQ issues and gender-affirming surgery.<\/p>\n A third example Microsoft cited found that Iranian groups are impersonating U.S. activists, potentially laying the groundwork for influence operations closer to the election.<\/p>\n Finally, another Iranian group in May compromised an account owned by a government employee in a swing state, the report said. It was unclear whether that cyberattack was related to election interference efforts.<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s U.N. mission sent The Associated Press an emailed statement: \u201cIran has been the victim of numerous offensive cyber operations targeting its infrastructure, public service centers, and industries. Iran\u2019s cyber capabilities are defensive and proportionate to the threats it faces. Iran has neither the intention nor plans to launch cyber attacks. The U.S. presidential election is an internal matter in which Iran does not interfere.\u201d<\/p>\n The Microsoft report said that as Iran escalates its cyber influence, Russia-linked actors also have pivoted their influence campaigns to focus on the U.S. election, while actors linked to the Chinese Communist Party have taken advantage of pro-Palestinian university protests and other current events in the U.S. to try to raise U.S. political tensions.<\/p>\n Microsoft said it has continued to monitor how foreign foes are\u00a0using generative AI technology<\/a>. The increasingly cheap and easy-to-access tools can generate lifelike fake images, photos and videos in seconds, prompting concern among some experts that they will be weaponized to\u00a0mislead voters<\/a>\u00a0this election cycle.<\/p>\n While many countries have experimented with AI in their influence operations, the company said, those efforts haven\u2019t had much impact so far. The report said as a result, some actors have \u201cpivoted back to techniques that have proven effective in the past \u2014 simple digital manipulations, mischaracterization of content, and use of trusted labels or logos atop false information.\u201d<\/p>\n Microsoft\u2019s report aligns with recent warnings from U.S. intelligence officials, who say America\u2019s adversaries appear determined to seed the internet with false and incendiary claims ahead of November\u2019s vote.<\/p>\n Top intelligence officials said last month that Russia continues to pose the greatest threat when it comes to election disinformation, while there are indications that Iran is expanding its efforts and China is proceeding cautiously when it comes to 2024.<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s efforts seem aimed at undermining candidates seen as being more likely to increase tension with Tehran,\u00a0the officials said<\/a>. That\u2019s a description that fits Trump, whose administration\u00a0ended a nuclear deal with Iran<\/a>, reimposed sanctions and ordered the\u00a0killing of the top Iranian general.<\/a><\/p>\n The influence efforts also coincide with a time of high tensions between Iran and Israel, whose military the U.S.\u00a0strongly supports<\/a>.<\/p>\n Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said last month that the Iranian government has\u00a0covertly supported American protests<\/a>\u00a0over Israel\u2019s war against Hamas in Gaza. Groups linked to Iran have posed as online activists, encouraged\u00a0protests<\/a>\u00a0and provided financial support to some protest groups, Haines said.<\/p>\n America\u2019s foes, Iran among them, have a long history of seeking to influence U.S. elections. In 2020,\u00a0groups linked to Iran<\/a>\u00a0sent emails to Democratic voters in an apparent effort to influence their votes, intelligence officials said.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n Associated Press writers David Klepper and Eric Tucker in Washington contributed to this report.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n CEO Daily provides key context for the news leaders need to know from across the world of business. Every weekday morning, more than 125,000 readers trust CEO Daily for insights about\u2013and from inside\u2013the C-suite. Subscribe Now<\/a>.<\/div>\n\nRecommended Newsletter:<\/strong><\/p>\n