Antonio Manaytay Tech 10.21.2022 17:Oct PM EDT

FBI: Iranian Hackers Are Active as US Midterm Elections Near

Hackers linked to the Iranian government are active only weeks into the 2022 US midterm elections, a US federal agency warned on Thursday, Oct. 20.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said a group of hackers, the same group who tried to interfere in the 2020 elections, are active. This group of hackers is clearly a threat to the United States, the agency added.

Iranian Cyber Company

The group, FBI, identified as Emennet Pasargad, is currently involved in operations that will attempt to hack and leak information and other materials of value.

These hackers operate from an Iranian cybersecurity company. The FBI did not name the company.

The operations may target American organizations, the FBI warned.

Iran Hand

In Oct. 2020, NBC News reported the involvement of Iranian intelligence in sending emails to Florida voters per information from the FBI.

The emails, according to the report, ordered Democrat voters in Florida to switch parties and vote for the Republican candidates. The email was supposed to come from "Proud Boys." the right-wing groups of Trump supporters.

The FBI further warned of the engagement of Russia to influence the election outcome.

Both Russia and Iran forcefully denied the FBI report. Two months later, the US Justice Department indicted two Iranian nationals for trying to interfere with the elections.

In filing the charges, the intelligence officials accused the two suspects of trying to hack the voter registration websites in at least 11 states.

The suspects succeeded in compromising voter registration in one state.

The purpose of the hack-and-leak operations was to create a situation where voters would doubt the credibility of the election outcome.

Scheme

The scheme, according to a Justice Department official, was to demonstrate that the election websites can accept illegal ballots.

In 2021, the US Treasury imposed sanctions on Emennet Pasargad and six other Iranians with ties to the group for interfering with the 2020 US elections.

Officials named the accused as Seyyed Mohammad Hosein Musa Kazemi and Sajjad Kashian.

The duo also faced charges for producing and distributing a video that sought voters to doubt the integrity of the elections. Officials also accused the two of hacking the computer network of an unnamed media company.

US Entities, Israeli Companies

The agency warned the scheme might also target US entities based on Emennet's cyber operations. In 2020, the group targeted the 2020 US Presidential election.

Emennet, the FBI said, is also known for including Israeli companies as targets of their hack-and-leak operations.

The group remains a cyber threat to the US, the FBI warning said.

False-flag Campaign

The Iranian group is using false-flag campaigns pretending to be multiple personalities, such as cyber-criminal groups or hacktivist.

To evade US sanctions, a company known as Net Peygard Samavat and Eeleyanet Gostar, has to change its name to avoid identification and arrest constantly.

The State Department offered on Wednesday, Oct. 19, a US$10 million reward for anyone who has knowledge of the group's operations.

In February, the US government offered the same amount for anyone who could provide information that would lead to the arrest of the group's two members involved in the criminal act.