Iran-linked cyber operations are drawing renewed attention for relying less on advanced code and more on human manipulation to gain access to sensitive systems.
At the centre of this activity is Charming Kitten, a group associated with Iran’s security apparatus which has spent years targeting officials, researchers, and corporate employees. Instead of exploiting technical vulnerabilities, operatives frequently impersonate trusted contacts, using carefully crafted messages to trick victims into revealing credentials or installing malicious software.
Read more…
Source: TechRadar News
Sign up for the Cyber Security Review Newsletter
The latest cyber security news and insights delivered right to your inbox
Related:
- New Stuxnet Variant Allegedly Struck Iran
October 31, 2018
A malware similar in nature to Stuxnet but more aggressive and sophisticated allegedly hit the infrastructure and strategic networks in Iran. Details about the supposed new attack are superficial at the moment, as there are no details about the supposed attack, the damage it caused or its targets. A report on Wednesday from Israeli evening news bulletin ...
- OilRig APT Continues Its Ongoing Malware Evolution
September 13, 2018
The Iran-linked APT appears to be in a state of continuous tool development, analogous to the DevOps efforts seen in the legitimate software world. OilRig, an APT group believed to have ties to Iran, has been spotted in yet another campaign in the Middle East – this time targeting victims within an undisclosed government using an ...
- OilRig Sends an OopsIE to Mideast Government Targets
September 5, 2018
The Iran-linked group is using a variant of the data-exfiltration OopsIE trojan to attack a Mideast government entity. The OilRig group is back, using a reboot of the OopsIE trojan to pump information from its favorite resource: entities in the Middle East region. OilRig, which is also called Cobalt Gypsy, Crambus, Helix Kitten or PT34, is suspected ...
- FBI: Iranian Firm Stole Data In Massive Spear Phishing Campaign
March 26, 2018
The United States Department of Justice announced charges against nine Iranians accused of stealing private data from U.S. universities, private companies and U.S. government agencies. FBI Deputy Director David Bowdich said in a statement that the state-sponsored hackers worked for more than four years to steal expensive science and engineering-related research, company trade secrets, and sensitive U.S. government ...
- Australian universities and NGOs targeted by Iranian and Chinese hackers
February 27, 2018
Australian universities have been targeted by hackers with connections to Iran in recent months, and “a number of investigations” are in progress, according to cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike. “There are a lot of things that are happening geopolitically that are driving a lot of attacks,” the company’s vice president for technology strategy Michael Sentonas told journalists in ...
- Newly Discovered Iranian APT Group Brings State-sponsored Cyber Espionage into Focus
October 17, 2017
State-sponsored cyber espionage has been rising steadily in recent years. Whether it’s high-profile attacks such as North Korea’s hack of Sony in 2014, China’s alleged hack of the US’s Office of Personnel Management in 2015, or Russia’s alleged hack of the Democratic National Committee in 2016, the stories are mounting. Iran has also been in the cyber espionage news, with major ...