Iranian Hackers Targeted Presidential Candidate's Campaign, Microsoft Says
WASHINGTON (AP) — Microsoft said Friday that hackers linked to the Iranian government targeted a U.S. presidential campaign, as well as government officials, media targets and prominent expatriate Iranians.
Overall, the hackers attempted to penetrate 241 accounts — four successfully — though none of those penetrated was associated with presidential campaigns or current or past U.S. officials, Microsoft said. A company spokeswoman declined to identify those targeted, citing customer privacy.
Multiple media outlets have reported that the attack targeted President Donald Trump's reelection campaign, but this could not be independently confirmed. A review of publicly available internet records by the Associated Press showed that the Trump campaign's official website is linked to Microsoft's email service.
Tim Murtaugh, spokesman for Trump's 2020 reelection campaign, said there was "no indication that any of our campaign infrastructure was targeted."
Microsoft's announcement is the latest sign that foreign governments are looking for ways to potentially disrupt the 2020 presidential election. U.S. intelligence officials have sounded the alarm about the risks for months.
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