The Holy Souls or NEPTUNIUM threat group is believed to be behind the recent attack on the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. This group is known to be supported by the Iranian government and has been sanctioned by the US government in the past. The hackers claim to have obtained sensitive information from more than 200,000 Charlie Hebdo customers, including full names, phone numbers, home and email addresses. The group has posted a sample of 200 records, which includes the home addresses of Charlie Hebdo subscribers, as proof of their data theft. Researchers have warned that the leaked data could put the magazine's subscribers at risk of online or physical attacks. It is thought that the attack was a response to Charlie Hebdo's cartoon contest which portrayed the Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in a negative light. The leak was then amplified by a coordinated operation across multiple social media platforms, using tactics and procedures that have been seen in Iranian hack-and-leak influence operations before. The entire data cache was then put up for sale on the dark web for $340,000. Last year, in January 2022, the FBI identified the same cyber unit as being responsible for a complex influence campaign that interfered with the 2020 presidential elections. According to thehackernews.com, two Iranians were found to be involved in the disinformation and threat campaign. If you enjoyed this article, follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, and Instagram for more cybersecurity news and topics. Additionally, sign up for our newsletter to get cybersecurity updates delivered directly to your inbox.
This Cyber News was published on heimdalsecurity.com. Publication date: Tue, 07 Feb 2023 15:07:03 +0000