Representative Randy Fine (R-FL) has revealed that he was targeted in an Iranian cyberattack operation earlier this year, declaring, "I will not be intimidated or back down."
In February, shortly after the attacks on Iran began, an apparent Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) operative posed as a reporter for Newsmax, emailing Rep. Fine's staff and later contacting them on Signal for a "scheduled interview." However, House security officials warned that the link might have actually been a means of geotracking Rep. Fine to know his exact location, allowing for a possible attack on his person, and an investigation in cooperation with the FBI is underway.
"I was clearly targeted. It wasn't random," the Florida congressman said in a statement "And with the recent cyber attack on the FBI, I will not be intimidated or back down. Iran and its terror proxies continue to threaten Americans and those who serve this country. If it can happen to me, it can happen to anyone."
Fine referenced the recent hack of a personal Gmail account belonging to FBI Director Kash Patel by the Iran-backed hacker group Handala, although the stolen information is allegedly out of date and contains nothing sensitive or classified.
Nevertheless, cyberattacks perpetrated by Iran have been a growing concern nationwide, even before "Operation Epic Fury" began earlier this year.
For instance, a high-profile attack occurred in Arizona last June, in which the state elections portal was hacked, although Arizona's Secretary of State Adrian Fontes downplayed the incident, earning criticism from the Grand Canyon State's Republicans.
Fine, meanwhile, has gained prominence for his ferocious stance against Islam and ardent support for Israel, recently stirring controversy for his response to a statement made by a pro-Palestine activist on social media.
