Plans to Interfere with U.S. Elections Underway, Microsoft Says
Emennet Pasargad is an Iranian cyber company, thought to be in the pay of the Iranian government. To thousands of unsuspecting Americans, however, they portrayed themselves as violent members of the Proud Boys. And they came with a threat: “Vote for Trump on Election Day or we will come after you.”
Hackers from Emennet Pasargad wormed their way past election security measures into at least one state website and a private media organization, carrying out a threat and disinformation campaign against 2020 election cycle integrity that U.S. experts condemned as a bid to “undermin[e] voter confidence.” A $10 million bounty hangs over the group, put forward by the Justice Department in exchange for information on the identity or location of its hackers.
Four years later, according to Microsoft, the group is now back for a redo.
“Emennet Pasargad” is better known as “Cotton Sandstorm,” a double naming convention developed by Microsoft that signifies the location and type of cyber threat. The new moniker has achieved international recognition as Microsoft warns users that the group is coming for their data.
“Iran has proved that it can run multiple operations against varying targets simultaneously,” threat analyst Clint Watts reported. “The Iranian cyber group … Cotton Sandstorm has been actively scouting election-related websites and media outlets, suggesting preparations for more direct influence operations as Election Day nears.”
Iranian officials laughed off the accusation, calling it “wholly inadmissible.”
“Iran neither has any motive nor intent to interfere in the U.S. election,” a spokesperson for Iran at the UN said. “The Islamic Republic of Iran does not engage in the internal uproars or electoral controversies of the United States.”
Cotton Sandstorm isn’t the only Iranian organization threat analysts are holding up for scrutiny. An unidentified platform calling itself “Bushnell’s Men”–likely a reference to the Air Force serviceman who set himself on fire to protest Israel’s actions in Palestine–has been calling for election boycotts to protest both candidates’ support for Israel.
“The group’s previous efforts to incite anti-Israeli protests at universities further illustrate their use of divisive social issues to sow conflict among communities in the U.S.,” Watts said.
And that’s just Iran. China and Russia also stand accused of election meddling operations, creating AI-enhanced deekfakes to spread disinformation, targeting specific U.S. officials up for reelection, and hurling unfounded accusations of misconduct at candidates.
According to Microsoft: “We expect Russia, Iran, and China to continue their efforts, including using AI, and may employ tactics that seek to cast doubt about the integrity of the election’s outcome.”
An assortment of AI-generated videos and a few stolen emails may not seem like much of a threat. But, according to Miles Kahler of the Council on Foreign Relations, modern social concerns have primed voters to remain vulnerable to these kinds of attacks. In a world where social media has taken the place of edited, monitored, and fact-checked news sites, people often have little choice but to believe what they see.
“[This has] contributed to political polarization and lowered barriers to entry for hostile foreign actors seeking to manipulate domestic information ecosystems and sow distrust,” Kahler said. “AI-generated content could be harder to detect, more realistic and personalized, and easier to improve and replicate.”
As election season draws nearer and the outcome becomes increasingly harder to predict, many Americans are hedging their bets against the worst by investing in a resource that can outlast cyber attacks and retain its value even in a damaged democracy.
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