On Friday, Meta Platforms reported that an Iranian hacker group known for its attacks on the two main parties in the United States attempted to hack the WhatsApp accounts of staff members from President Joe Biden’s administration and former President Donald Trump.
Meta, the parent of Facebook and Instagram, has discovered the network of hackers impersonating technical support agents from companies like Microsoft and Google, following reports from individuals who received suspicious WhatsApp messages.
Investigators from Meta linked this activity to the same group that had previously been involved in the hacking incident related to Trump. According to the company, hackers aimed to target the WhatsApp accounts of individuals in the Middle East, the United States, and the United Kingdom, as well as political and diplomatic officials, including unnamed individuals linked to both the Trump and Biden administrations.
“We have not seen evidence of the targeted WhatsApp accounts being compromised, but out of an abundance of caution, we’re sharing our findings publicly, in addition to sharing information with law enforcement and our industry peers,” according to Meta in the statement, adding that several accounts faced being blocked.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) stated that Iran’s hacking of the Trump campaign database and the attempted hacking of the Biden-Harris campaign database were part of broader efforts by Iran to interfere in the presidential elections in the US.
US intelligence officials suggest that Iran’s growing use of cyberattacks and disinformation has several motives: to confuse and polarise voters, to erode trust in American democracy, to diminish support for Israel, and to challenge candidates who might heighten tensions between Washington and Tehran.
