FBI: Iranian Threat Group Likely to Target US Midterms

Although the Iranian threat group Emennet Pasargad is largely dedicated to launching attacks against Israeli officials, the FBI warns the group is likely to engage in hack-and-leak operations against US interests — namely the upcoming midterm elections.

The latest FBI advisory explained that Emennet tactics usually involve a breach, data theft, data leak, and amplification of leaked data on social media; often they leave encryption malware behind, for good measure. The group was active during the 2020 presidential elections, and the FBI is warning they are likely to reemerge as Americans vote in the November midterm elections.

Adding to the alarm, the FBI said Emennet was linked to a cyberattack on a US organization within the past year, demonstrating the group is still an active threat.

“The FBI assesses the purpose of these operations is to undermine public confidence in the security of the victim’s network and data, as well as embarrass victim companies and targeted countries,” the advisory said.