Oct 23 (Reuters) - An Iranian hacking group is actively

scouting U.S. election-related websites and American media

outlets as election day nears, according to a new Microsoft ( MSFT ) blog

published on Wednesday. Researchers say the activity suggests

"preparations for more direct influence operations."

The hackers - dubbed Cotton Sandstorm by Microsoft ( MSFT ) and

linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps - performed

reconnaissance and limited probing of multiple "election-related

websites" in several unnamed swing states, the report notes. In

May, they also scanned an unidentified U.S. news outlet to

understand its vulnerabilities.

"Cotton Sandstorm will increase its activity as the election

nears given the group's operational tempo and history of

election interference," researchers wrote. The development is

particularly concerning because of the group's past efforts.

Iran's mission to the United Nations did not immediately

respond to a request for comment. In recent past comments, they

denied any involvement in 2024 election-related hacking

activity.

In 2020, Cotton Sandstorm launched a different cyber-enabled

influence operation shortly before the last presidential

election. Posing as the right-wing "Proud Boys," the hackers

sent thousands of emails to Florida residents, threatening them

to "vote for Trump or else!".

The group also released a video on social media, purporting

to come from hacktivists, where they showed them probing an

election system. While that operation never affected individual

voting systems, the goal was to cause chaos, confusion and

doubt, senior U.S. officials said at the time.

Following the 2020 election, Cotton Sandstorm also ran a

separate operation that encouraged violence against U.S.

election officials who had denied claims of widespread voter

fraud, Microsoft ( MSFT ) said.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which

is coordinating the federal effort to defend the election from

foreign influence, did not immediately respond to a request for

comment.