Iran-Linked Hackers Influence US Elections?

An Iranian hacking group, Cotton Sandstorm, linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, is actively targeting U.S. election-related websites and media outlets ahead of the November 5 presidential election, according to a Microsoft report. 

The group has conducted reconnaissance of election websites in several battleground states and scanned a U.S. news outlet for vulnerabilities. Given their history of election interference including efforts in 2020 to impersonate the right-wing "Proud Boys" and spread chaos researchers expect increased activity from the group as the election approaches. 

While Iran's mission to the U.N. denies any intent to interfere, U.S. intelligence warns that foreign actors like Russia, Iran and China aim to undermine confidence in the democratic system. Cotton Sandstorm’s previous operations sought to create confusion including threats to voters and encouraging violence against election officials. The U.S. government is coordinating efforts to protect the election from foreign influence.