Security News > 2020 > September > Microsoft detects wave of cyberattacks two months before US presidential election
Hacker groups are ramping up activity as the US heads into the peak of election season.
To help thwart such attempts, the US Department of State recently announced a multimillion-dollar bounty focused on identifying cybercriminals associated with foreign governments targeting US elections.
On Thursday, Microsoft announced that it had observed a number of cyberattacks targeting organizations and individuals involved in the 2020 US presidential election.
Overall, Strontium's latest campaign has targeted hundreds of organizations involved in the upcoming election including consultants for Republican and Democratic Party candidates based in the US, think tanks, the European People's Party, and others, per Microsoft.
The China-based organization Zirconium has specifically targeted "High-profile individuals" involved in the election including "People associated with the Joe Biden for President campaign and prominent leaders in the international affairs community." Additionally, Microsoft has observed that the Iran-based group Phosphorus has also targeted personal accounts "Of people associated with the Donald J. Trump for President campaign."