The FBI is investigating suspected hacking attempts by Iran targeting both a Trump associate and advisers to the Biden-Harris campaign, according to people familiar with the matter, as the agency formally acknowledged Monday it has opened a high-stakes national security investigation months before Election Day.
Three staffers on the Biden-Harris campaign received spear phishing emails that were designed to appear legitimate but could give an intruder access to the recipients’ communications, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe a sensitive investigation.
So far, investigators have not found evidence that those hacking attempts were successful, these people said.
The FBI began the investigation in June, suspecting Iran wasbehind the attempts to steal data from two U.S. presidential campaigns. Agents contacted Google, among other companies, to discuss what appeared to be a phishing effort targeting people associated with the Biden campaign, these people said.
The new details show the investigation is broader and involves more potential victims than previously known.
It also underscores the degree to which hacking by foreign nations targeting U.S. political candidates may simply be a recurring feature of politics in the digital age. U.S. officials concluded that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election to help Donald Trump, including by hacking and releasing internal emails and documents from Democrats.
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