The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has initiated an investigation into hacking attempts targeting both the Trump and Biden-Harris presidential campaigns. According to an anonymous source familiar with the matter, the probe includes unsuccessful hacking attempts against three Biden-Harris campaign staffers and former Trump adviser Roger Stone.

The Washington Post was the first to report on the FBI investigation, noting the attempted hacks on Biden-Harris staffers and Stone. It remains unclear whether the hacking attempts against the Biden staffers were successful. Stone informed authorities that his email had been compromised.

Over the weekend, prominent news outlets such as Politico, The Washington Post, and The New York Times reported that they had received stolen files purportedly from the Trump campaign. The Trump campaign confirmed a hacking incident occurring in June but did not specify whether these files were part of it. However, NBC News has not received any of the alleged stolen files.

The FBI has provided limited information regarding the alleged hack and has not confirmed if any hacking actually occurred. The Trump campaign has suggested that the files were part of an Iranian hacking operation recently disclosed by Microsoft. However, Microsoft has declined to comment on this specific claim.

Iran's representative to the United Nations has denied any involvement in the hack. Cybersecurity and election security experts have long warned about foreign efforts to sway U.S. elections, often through "hack and leak" attacks where sensitive information is stolen and leaked.

Experts have identified Russia, China, and Iran as potential actors seeking to influence the 2024 U.S. election, with Iran allegedly aiming to undermine Trump. A recent report from Microsoft revealed that hackers gained access to the email account of a former senior adviser to a presidential campaign and used it to send a phishing email to another high-ranking campaign member. However, it is unclear which campaign was targeted or whether the phishing attempt was successful.

Chris Krebs, former director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency in the Trump administration, expressed concern that full cooperation from the Trump campaign may be limited due to strained relations between Trump and federal law enforcement. Krebs emphasized the importance of collaboration to facilitate a thorough investigation and ensure national security.

The alleged hack adds to the strained relationship between Iran and the former Trump administration. Tensions escalated in 2020 when Trump authorized a drone strike that killed Iranian military leader Qassem Soleimani. Last month, Biden administration officials claimed that Iran had planned to assassinate Trump, an allegation denied by Iran's representative to the U.N.

Transparency has been emphasized as the best response to hacking and disinformation efforts, allowing for accurate information dissemination and the exposure of any attempts to mislead the public. Representative Adam Schiff has called for federal authorities to promptly release relevant information, emphasizing the need to condemn foreign interference regardless of the targeted party.

While the hacking incident regarding the Trump campaign files has similarities to the Russian campaign against Clinton in 2016, it appears less elaborate in terms of file distribution. The Russian operation involved creating a fake persona and using platforms like WikiLeaks and DCLeaks. In contrast, no clear distribution system for the hacked Trump files has been uncovered thus far.

As the FBI continues its investigation, more details are expected to emerge regarding the alleged hacking attempts on both the Trump and Biden campaigns.