The agency quoted researchers as saying that this activity indicates “preparations for more direct influence operations.”
The company indicated in its blog that the hackers, whom it called “Cotton Sandstorm” and who are linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, carried out limited reconnaissance and examination of multiple websites “related to the elections” in a number of countries. Swing states Her names were not mentioned.
She explained that last May they scanned an anonymous American news website to monitor its weaknesses.
“The Cotton Sandstorm group will increase its activity as the election approaches, given the speed of the group’s operations and its history of election interference,” the researchers wrote.
A spokesman for the Iranian mission to… United Nations “Such allegations are completely unfounded and completely unacceptable,” adding, “Iran has no motives or intention to interfere in… American elections“.
In 2020, the Cotton Sandstorm group launched a different cyber influence operation shortly before the previous presidential election, Reuters reported.
The group also posted a video on social media, claiming to be from hacktivists, in which they appeared to be exploring an electoral system.
She said Microsoft After the 2020 election, Cotton Sandstorm also carried out a separate operation that encouraged violence against US election officials who denied allegations of widespread voting fraud.
