Harris, Trump campaign hacks easy to do, and not unexpected

SALT LAKE CITY — The FBI is investigating a campaign hack related to the 2024 presidential campaign of former President Donald Trump. The agency is also investigating attempts to hack into Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign, reported the Associated Press.

The former president claimed Iran was behind the attack, something that the most recent Microsoft Threat Intelligence Report substantiates. According to the Aug. 9, 2024 report, “Iranian actors have laid the groundwork for influence operations aimed at US audiences … potentially seeking to impact the 2024 US presidential election.”

Whether it’s an international actor or someone in the United States, at least one thing is clear to Utah Valley University’s Brandon Amacher, the director of the Emerging Tech Policy Lab for the I3SC and an instructor UVU’s Center for National Security Studies — hacking a presidential campaign isn’t hard.

“It was probably a matter of time before this happened,” he told KSL NewsRadio.

Campaign hack likely began as a phishing attempt

He expects the hack started as a phishing email that led an unsuspecting staffer to offer information, like a password and username, to a compromised official-looking web page.

As cyber awareness training teaches many American workers, this type of cyber attack can be prevented by knowing the signs of a phishing email and not taking the bait.

However, a presidential campaign isn’t like a typical business. Specifically, it isn’t easy to keep a campaign secure. 

“It (the campaign) pops up quickly, it grows quickly,” Amacher said. “It’s comparable to trying to build a home security system versus trying to secure a portable tent.”

“It’s very, very difficult just because of that temporary and kind of rapid deployment of the organization.”

And as disturbing or unnerving as it sounds, international infiltration of a U.S. presidential campaign isn’t surprising. 

“Not surprised in the slightest. Obviously political campaigns are going to be a major target of nation-state cyber operations,” Amacher said. 

Other suggested reading:

• CrowdStrike blames “faulty update” for widespread tech disruption, denies cyber attack
• UVU wins second in international Cyber Security 9/12 competition
• Hackers can target schools for kids’ data, here’s how to stay safer

Follow @SimoneSeikaly