Iranian hacker group focuses on US election websites, media, ahead of vote: Microsoft

An Iranian hacking group is actively scouting U.S. election-related websites and American media outlets as election day nears, according to a Microsoft blog published on Wednesday. Researchers say the activity suggests “preparations for more direct influence operations.”

The hackers – dubbed Cotton Sandstorm by Microsoft and linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps – performed reconnaissance and limited probing of multiple “election-related websites” in several unnamed swing states, the report notes. In May, they also scanned an unidentified U.S. news outlet to understand its vulnerabilities.