“Over the past two months, Microsoft has observed a notable shift in the tactics of Russian influence operations, reflecting the evolving U.S. political environment,” Clint Watts, general manager of Microsoft’s Threat Analysis Center, wrote in a company blog post.
The U.S. firm found that Russia had turned its attention to Ms. Harris’ campaign, with actors “releasing fabricated videos designed to sow discord and spread disinformation” about her. The focus on her campaign reflects a “strategic move by Russian actors to exploit any perceived vulnerabilities in new candidates,” Watts said.
Kamala Harris replaced US President Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee after the 81-year-old Biden withdrew from the presidential race in July following a disastrous debate performance against Republican nominee Donald Trump.
“Initially, Russian influence operations struggled to scale their efforts after President Biden’s exit from the 2024 presidential race,” Watts noted. However, in late August and September, Microsoft observed two Russian groups, known as Storm-1516 and Storm-167, using videos designed to discredit Ms. Harris and fuel controversy around her campaign.
Carefully targeted content
One video showed an attack by alleged Kamala Harris supporters on a supposed Trump rally attendee, while another used an actor to fabricate false claims about the Democrat’s involvement in a hit-and-run accident.
Another video showed a fake billboard making false claims about the current vice president’s policies.
We should expect Russian actors to continue to use cyber processors and hacktivist groups to amplify their messages through channels designed to disseminate divisive political content.
“As we move closer to the election, we should expect Russian actors to continue to use cybercriminals and hacktivist groups to amplify their messages through media websites and social channels designed to spread divisive political content, staged videos, and AI-enhanced propaganda,” Microsoft warned.
U.S. intelligence officials said in August that Iran was responsible for hacking Mr. Trump’s presidential campaign.
According to Microsoft, a China-linked influencer also created videos critical of the Biden administration and the Harris campaign.
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“Collectively, these three nation-states – Iran, China, and Russia – demonstrate the complexity of foreign interference the United States faces, and the need for the public to remain vigilant in the face of these evolving threats,” Microsoft concluded.
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