Microsoft Identifies Iranian GovernmentBacked Group as Responsible for Charlie Hebdo Cyber Attack

In January 2023, the U.S. government sanctioned an Iranian nation-state group for the hack of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. Microsoft, which revealed the details of the incident, is tracking the activity cluster under the name NEPTUNIUM, which is an Iran-based company known as Emennet Pasargad. The FBI had previously linked the state-backed cyber unit to a campaign to interfere with the 2020 presidential elections. Two Iranian nationals were accused of their involvement in the disinformation and threat campaign. Microsoft's disclosure came after a Hacktivist group called Holy Souls claimed to have the personal information of over 200,000 Charlie Hebdo customers, including their full names, phone numbers, and home and email addresses. It is believed that the breach was done in retaliation for the magazine's cartoon contest that mocked Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Microsoft's Digital Threat Analysis Center said that the leak was amplified by a coordinated effort across multiple social media platforms. This amplification effort used tactics, techniques, and procedures that the DTAC had seen before in Iranian hack-and-leak influence operations. The FBI believes that the goal of these campaigns is to damage the victims' networks and data, as well as embarrass companies and countries. These hack-and-leak campaigns involve a combination of hacking and information operations that can lead to financial losses and reputational damage.

This Cyber News was published on thehackernews.com. Publication date: Mon, 06 Feb 2023 12:45:03 +0000


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