An Iranian hacker group, believed to be working for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, attempted to breach multiple Utah government sites including a county, geological archive data, and oil and gas resources related to Utah. The hacking attempts occurred from March 2023 to March 2024, but were unsuccessful. The group is known for its cyberespionage capabilities and has been tracked by cybersecurity experts since 2013.
The disclosure of the hacking attempts in Utah highlights the extent of Iran’s cyberespionage operations and their focus on gathering intelligence about political figures and natural resources. The group has also been accused of targeting both presidential campaigns in the United States, successfully breaching Donald Trump’s campaign. Three U.S. agencies have attributed these hacking attempts to Iran, noting that the Harris campaign has not been breached.
Iran has denied engaging in election interference, stating they have no intention to interfere with the U.S. presidential election. However, cybersecurity experts note that countries with significant cyber capabilities, like Iran, frequently deploy hackers to gather intelligence. The Iranian hacker group is known to target oil and gas industries, given Iran’s substantial crude oil reserves.
The Utah Department of Public Safety issued the notice about the hacking attempts, which was obtained by NBC News through an open records request. The notice, marked unclassified but “For Official Use Only,” indicates that Utah was alerted to the hacking attempts in February by a federal agency. Officials did not disclose which specific organizations were targeted in the hacking attempts.
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