Trends
Meta says Iranian hackers targeted WhatsApp accounts of Biden
Meta’s investigators linked the activity to the same network blamed for the hacks reported by the Trump campaign.
Headline
Meta’s investigators linked the activity to the same network blamed for the hacks reported by the Trump campaign.
Context
OUR TAKE Meta investigators have linked these activities to the same network blamed for the hacks reported by the Trump campaign. The attempted intrusion against the campaign is part of a wider effort by Iran to interfere in the US presidential election, and this incident will affect more than just the security of information about the US election All organisations and individuals must be vigilant in protecting personal information and preventing it from being misused by unscrupulous individuals to cause irreparable damage. — Iydia Ding, BTW reporter The same Iranian hacking group believed to be targeting the Democratic and Republican presidential campaigns attempted to track the WhatsApp accounts of President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump ‘s administration staff, Meta Platforms said Friday.
Evidence
Pending intelligence enrichment.
Analysis
Meta said it discovered the hacker network after receiving individual reports of suspicious WhatsApp messages from hackers posing as tech support agents for companies such as AOL, Microsoft, and Google, among others. Meta’s investigators linked the activity to the same network blamed for the hacks reported by the Trump campaign. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said this week that the Iranian hacking of the Trump campaign and the attempted intrusion into the Biden-Harris campaign were part of a broader effort by Iran to interfere in the U.S. presidential election. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, said in a statement Friday that hackers tried to target the WhatsApp accounts of individuals and political and diplomatic officials in the Middle East, the U.S. and the U.K. – including unidentified officials associated with the Trump and Biden administrations. The company said Meta blocked “a small group” of accounts. Also read: What are hackers and how does a firewall stop hackers?
Key Points
- The same Iranian hacking group believed to be targeting the Democratic and Republican presidential campaigns tried to track the WhatsApp accounts of President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump’s administration staff, Meta Platforms said on Friday.
- Iran’s hacking of the Trump campaign and attempted intrusion into the Biden-Harris campaign were part of a broader effort by Iran to meddle in the U.S. presidential election, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said this week.
Actions
Pending intelligence enrichment.
