The U.S. Justice Division introduced the indictment Thursday of two Iranian nationals for “their involvement in a cyber-enabled marketing campaign to intimidate and affect American voters, and in any other case undermine voter confidence and sow discord, in reference to the 2020 U.S. presidential election,” in accordance with a press launch.
Between August and November of 2020, Seyyed Mohammad Hosein Musa Kazemi and Sajjad Kashian allegedly bought voter data from no less than one state election web site after which used that data to ship threatening emails “to intimidate and intervene with voters.”
In addition they allegedly tried to entry different state election-related web sites.
The 2 additionally allegedly created and distributed a video “containing disinformation about purported election infrastructure vulnerabilities.”
Moreover, they allegedly “efficiently gained unauthorized entry to a U.S. media firm’s laptop community,” which the Justice Division says the 2 may have used to distribute extra disinformation about elections. These plans, in accordance with Justice, have been stymied by the FBI and the media entity’s cybersecurity efforts.
“This indictment particulars how two Iran-based actors waged a focused, coordinated marketing campaign to erode confidence within the integrity of the U.S. electoral system and to sow discord amongst Individuals,” stated Assistant Legal professional Normal Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Division’s Nationwide Safety Division.
“The allegations illustrate how overseas disinformation campaigns function and search to affect the American public,” Olsen stated in a press release. “The division is dedicated to exposing and disrupting malign overseas affect efforts utilizing all obtainable instruments, together with legal fees.”
Fees towards the 2 embody “conspiracy to commit laptop fraud and abuse, intimidate voters, and transmit interstate threats.”
The 2 indicted have been amongst six sanctioned Thursday by the U.S. Treasury Division, who additionally allegedly have been concerned in “making an attempt to affect the 2020 U.S. presidential election.”
On Wednesday, the USA and Australia issued an advisory saying Iranian hackers have been behind cyberattacks on targets within the well being care and transportation sectors.