Iranian hackers targeted government officials and a 2020 presidential campaign, Microsoft says

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published 4 October 2019

Government officials and a 2020 presidential campaign have been targeted by hackers believed to be linked to the Iranian government, Microsoft says.

In a blog post Friday, Microsoft revealed that between August and September, a group it refers to as Phosphorous, which "we believe originates from Iran and is linked to the Iranian government," attempted to hack more 241 email accounts. These accounts are associated with current and former government officials, journalists, prominent Iranians, and a presidential campaign.

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"While the attacks we're disclosing today were not technically sophisticated, they attempted to use a significant amount of personal information both to identify the accounts belonging to their intended targets and in a few cases to attempt attacks," Microsoft Corporate Vice President Tom Burt said. "This effort suggests Phosphorous is highly motivated and willing to invest significant time and resources engaging in research and other means of information gathering."

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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.

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