Starting in Feb, a system belonging to an undisclosed US federal department of the government agency was breached by Iranian hackers sponsored by their govt, who stole network credentials and installed software to create cryptocurrency, according to US authorities on Wednesday.
The Homeland Security Department of the federal government has responded towards the intrusion in June, even though the attack likely started in Feb, according to a public alert from the FBI as well as DHS’s CISA.
The Iranian hackers took advantage of a well-known security flaw about which CISA issued a warning in Dec 2021 and instructed agencies to take remedial action.
It serves as an illustration of how it might take months for a hack to be found and publicized. It may also be the most recent proof that Tehran’s cyber groups, some of which are government workers, indulge in money-making operations. According to reports, the Iranian hackers installed cryptocurrency-generating technology on the US federal network, which might be a source of income for Iran’s sanctioned population.
The Iranian Hackers Sponsored By Iranian Govt. Breach Network Of The Federal Govt Scheme:
Uncertainty surrounded the suspected Iranian hackers’ end objective. A request for clarification was not answered immediately by CISA or even the FBI.
Accusations of hacking are often refuted by the Iranian authorities. An inquiry for comment was not immediately answered by the Permanent Mission of Iran into the UN.
Chinese and Iranian governments frequently use contractors in their hacking operations, giving those countries some level of credible denial for their online activities. The US has also developed its aggressive hacking skills with the help of contractors.
In the instance of Iran, US officials have recently charged putative Iranian government contractors of doing second jobs for their own benefit. In September, 3 Iranian individuals were charged by US authorities with accessing and extorting a number of US organizations and businesses while employed by IT firms connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
