Iran
FBI warns of Handala hackers using Telegram in malware attacks
The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) warned network defenders that Iranian hackers linked to the country’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) are using Telegram in malware attacks. In a flash alert issued on Friday, the FBI says Telegram is being used as command-and-control (C2) infrastructure by malware targeting journalists criticizing the Iranian government, […]
FBI seizes Handala data leak site after Stryker cyberattack
The FBI has seized two websites used by the Handala hacktivist group after the threat actors conducted a destructive cyberattack on medical technology giant Stryker that wiped approximately 80,000 devices. Both the hacktivist’s handala-redwanted[.]to and handala-hack[.]to clearnet domains now display a seizure notice stating that the websites were seized under a seizure warrant issued by the District Court […]
Europe sanctions Chinese and Iranian firms for cyberattacks
The Council of the European Union has sanctioned three Chinese and Iranian companies and two individuals for cyberattacks targeting devices and critical infrastructure. One of the two sanctioned Chinese companies, identified as Integrity Technology Group, provided “technical and material support” between 2022 and 2023 that led to hacking more than 65,000 devices in six EU […]
Medtech giant Stryker offline after Iran-linked wiper malware attack
Leading medical technology company Stryker has been hit by a wiper malware attack claimed by Handala, an Iranian-linked and pro-Palestinian hacktivist group. The medtech giant manufactures a range of products, including surgical and neurotechnology equipment. With over 53,000 employees, Stryker is a Fortune 500 company that reported global sales of $22.6 billion in 2024. Handala says they […]
Amazon: Drone strikes damaged AWS data centers in Middle East
Amazon has confirmed that three Amazon Web Services (AWS) data centers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and one in Bahrain have been damaged by drone strikes, causing an extensive outage that is still affecting dozens of cloud computing services. While the company didn’t provide further details on the incident, the attacks are likely part […]
UK warns of Iranian cyberattack risks amid Middle-East conflict
The United Kingdom’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) alerted British organizations to a heightened risk of Iranian cyberattacks amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. While there is no significant change in the direct cyber threat from Iran to the UK, the NCSC said this could change at any time, given how quickly the […]
Iranian hackers targeted over 100 govt orgs with Phoenix backdoor
State-sponsored Iranian hacker group MuddyWater has targeted more than 100 government entities in attacks that deployed version 4 of the Phoenix backdoor. The threat actor is also known as Static Kitten, Mercury, and Seedworm, and it typically targets government and private organizations in the Middle East region. Starting August 19, the hackers launched a phishing campaign from […]
MuddyWater’s DarkBit ransomware cracked for free data recovery
Cybersecurity firm Profero cracked the encryption of the DarkBit ransomware gang’s encryptors, allowing them to recover a victim’s files for free without paying a ransom. This occurred in 2023 during an incident response handled by Profero experts, who were brought in to investigate a ransomware attack on one of their clients, which had encrypted multiple […]
U.S. warns of Iranian cyber threats on critical infrastructure
U.S. cyber agencies, the FBI, and NSA issued an urgent warning today about potential cyberattacks from Iranian-affiliated hackers targeting U.S. critical infrastructure. CISA says there are no indications of an ongoing campaign but urges critical infrastructure organizations and other potential targets to monitor their defense due to the current unrest in the Middle East and cyber […]
US Homeland Security warns of escalating Iranian cyberattack risks
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) warned over the weekend of escalating cyberattack risks by Iran-backed hacking groups and pro-Iranian hacktivists. This warning was issued as a National Terrorism Advisory System bulletin on Sunday and cautions that the Iranian conflict is causing a “heightened threat environment” in the United States, with “low-level” cyberattacks targeting […]