Microsoft detects new cyberattacks targeting U.S. elections

Microsoft said in a blog post that, in recent weeks, it has detected cyberattacks targeting people and organizations involved in the upcoming presidential election, including unsuccessful attacks on people associated with both the Trump and Biden campaign. The company said it observed that: Strontium, operating from Russia, has attacked more than 200 organizations including political campaigns, advocacy groups, parties and political consultants; Zirconium, operating from China, has attacked high-profile individuals associated with the election, including people associated with the Joe Biden for President campaign and prominent leaders in the international affairs community; Phosphorus, operating from Iran, has continued to attack the personal accounts of people associated with the Donald J. Trump for President campaign. The majority of these attacks were detected and stopped by security tools built into our products. "We have directly notified those who were targeted or compromised so they can take action to protect themselves," the company said. "We are sharing more about the details of these attacks today, and where we've named impacted customers, we're doing so with their support. What we've seen is consistent with previous attack patterns that not only target candidates and campaign staffers but also those they consult on key issues. These activities highlight the need for people and organizations involved in the political process to take advantage of free and low-cost security tools to protect themselves as we get closer to election day. At Microsoft, for example, we offer AccountGuard threat monitoring, Microsoft 365 for Campaigns and Election Security Advisors to help secure campaigns and their volunteers. More broadly, these attacks underscore the continued importance of work underway at the United Nations to protect cyberspace and initiatives like the Paris Call for Trust and Security in Cyberspace." Reference Link