FireEye uncovers suspicious online activity resembling Iranian influence operations
FireEye uncovers suspicious online activity resembling Iranian influence operations
Social media accounts took on the personas of journalists, activists, Republican lawmakers and ordinary Americans to promote pro-Iranian messages, according to the latest investigative report from FireEye.
These profiles were included in a sweep of nearly 3,000 Twitter accounts that were removed by the social media giant, who says they originated in Iran.
Dozens of social media accounts displaying suspicious behavior have been uncovered in a new report that sees pro-Iranian messaging promoted by profiles impersonating real people, as well as journalists and activists who don’t seem to exist.
The accounts, which promoted often aggressive messages and hashtags in support of the Iranian government, have also taken on the personas of Republican members of congress and ordinary Americans, according to the latest investigative report from California-based cybersecurity firm FireEye.
The firm describes their findings as a “network of social media accounts” impersonating U.S. political candidates and “leveraging U.S. and Israeli media in support of Iranian interests.”
While Iranian influence campaigns carried out from within the country are not new, FireEye’s findings dissect yet more individual accounts that have surfaced in various media outlets engaging in “inauthentic behavior … that we assess with low confidence was organized in support of Iranian political interests,” the report’s authors said.
These profiles were included in a sweep of nearly 3,000 Twitter accounts that were removed by the social media giant, who says they originated in Iran.
Yoel Roth, head of site integrity at Twitter, posted a tweet last week saying that the accounts “employed a range of false personas to target conversations about political and social issues in Iran and globally. Some engaged directly through public replies with politicians, journalists, and others.”
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