In the context of the Israel-Hamas conflict, Iran's offensive operations against Israel were initially reactive and chaotic, but quickly ramped up and expanded in scope, Microsoft says.
Immediately after October 7, Iranian threat actors were seen 'leaking' old material and using pre-existing access to networks, with their rather chaotic activities suggesting little or no coordination with Hamas, despite early claims by Iranian state media.
Iran-aligned adversaries quickly ramped up their cyberattacks and influence operations in support of Hamas, with 14 groups engaging in anti-Israel cyber operations two weeks into the armed war, up from only nine in the beginning.
As the war progressed, so did Iran's offensive cyber ops, and by January 2024 expanded to targeting Albania, Bahrain, and the US as well.
According to Microsoft, the collaboration between the involved threat actors also increased, resulting in higher effectiveness.
Two weeks after the beginning of the war, the same organizations and military bases in Israel were being targeted by multiple Iranian hacking groups.
The number of cyber-enabled influence operations reached 11 in October 2023, nearly double than the previous high of six in November 2022.
These included false claims of cyberattacks against an Israeli power plant by a group called Cyber Avengers, of hacked security cameras, and of ransomed security cameras at Nevatim Air Force Base.
Starting late November, the Iranian threat actors expanded their influence operations to countries believed to be aiding Israel, targeting organizations in Albania, Bahrain, and the US. The observed Iranian cyber operations focused on destabilization through exaggeration, involved retaliation to Israeli attacks, and aimed to undermine Israeli security and intimidate the country's citizens and international supporters.
Microsoft also observed Iranian threat actors impersonating their enemies and their friends, and increasingly using bulk text message and email campaigns to enhance the effect of their operations.
Fueled by the Israel-Hamas war, Iran nation-state cyber operations targeting Israel increased 43%. The activity is expected to become more targeted, more collaborative, and more destructive.
This Cyber News was published on www.securityweek.com. Publication date: Thu, 08 Feb 2024 16:13:04 +0000