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Iranian hackers are targeting U.S. Officials through Social Networks, report says....

MMC

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A group of Iranian hackers has waged a creative campaign of cyber-espionage, targeting hundreds of high-ranking U.S. defense, diplomatic and other officials who are lured to fake Web sites through an elaborate social media network that features a bogus online news site, according to a new report.

Since at least 2011, the hackers have targeted current and former senior military officials, including a four-star admiral; current and former foreign policy officials who work on nonproliferation issues; as well as personnel from more than 10 U.S. and Israeli defense contractors, according to iSight Partners, a cybersecurity research firm.

2014-04-29T212433Z_01_TOR421_RTRIDSP_3_TWITTER-RESULTS-908.jpg


The operation, which the firm dubbed Newscaster, uses sites such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn to draw in the hackers’ targets, iSight Partners researchers said. Its centerpiece is a fake news site called NewsOnAir.org, which features foreign policy and defense stories.

The hackers appear to be after intelligence that could support weapon systems development, or provide insight into the U.S. military, the U.S.-Israel alliance or nuclear negotiations between Iran and the United States and other powers, the report said. The researchers could not determine, however, what data might have been stolen

The social networking is so elaborate they’ve got connections to the highest levels of American policy,’’ said John Hultquist, iSight Partners’ head of intelligence on cyber-espionage......snip~

Iranian hackers are targeting U.S. officials through social networks, report says - The Washington Post


Well.....seems the Iranians have breached our people. What say ye?
 
Re: Iranian hackers are targeting U.S. Officials through Social Networks, report says

I wonder if they picked up Weiner when he was playing with Social Media......they should have gave up the names of those who have been compromised.
 
Re: Iranian hackers are targeting U.S. Officials through Social Networks, report says

I wonder if they picked up Weiner when he was playing with Social Media......they should have gave up the names of those who have been compromised.

I think the national contemptuous laughter directed at his disgusting behavior was sufficient - why bring in the women who alerted the authorities to what he was doing? Too bad his pregnant wife also had to suffer the insult, though. She was not a party to any of it.
 
Re: Iranian hackers are targeting U.S. Officials through Social Networks, report says

Well.....seems the Iranians have breached our people. What say ye?

No more porn ?
 
Re: Iranian hackers are targeting U.S. Officials through Social Networks, report says

The 200 billion dollar question, though, is unanswered. Are they a buncha rogues, or are they taking orders?

Going off who they're targeting, it seems it must be the latter.
 
Re: Iranian hackers are targeting U.S. Officials through Social Networks, report says

The 200 billion dollar question, though, is unanswered. Are they a buncha rogues, or are they taking orders?

Going off who they're targeting, it seems it must be the latter.

Heya Kevin. :2wave: Yeah.....and it seems they have even targeted defense people too.

This coming after we admit the Chinese were hacking us.
 
Re: Iranian hackers are targeting U.S. Officials through Social Networks, report says

I think the national contemptuous laughter directed at his disgusting behavior was sufficient - why bring in the women who alerted the authorities to what he was doing? Too bad his pregnant wife also had to suffer the insult, though. She was not a party to any of it.

Well, it would have been nice to know if these researchers could find out if any data was stolen. Saying they don't know.....isn't to encouraging.
 
Re: Iranian hackers are targeting U.S. Officials through Social Networks, report says

Well, it would have been nice to know if these researchers could find out if any data was stolen. Saying they don't know.....isn't to encouraging.

Are we talking about the same Weiner that earned the title "Weinergate?" *pardon the pun* I was referring to the pictures of his genitals that he was sending all over the place. Does someone think he was also sending data?
 
Re: Iranian hackers are targeting U.S. Officials through Social Networks, report says

Are we talking about the same Weiner that earned the title "Weinergate?" *pardon the pun* I was referring to the pictures of his genitals that he was sending all over the place. Does someone think he was also sending data?

No.....just that if he was a member of Congress he may have visited some of these Social Sites.


The Newscaster campaign also targeted journalists, lobbyists for Israeli interests and members of Congress, iSight Partners researchers said.

The Iranians are not among the elite or most sophisticated of hackers
. The United States, Russia, Israel and China still are leagues ahead. But the Iranians are working hard to catch up, experts say.

ISight Partners researchers said one concern is that the type of access obtained through operations such as Newscaster could be exploited in support of disruptive or destructive attacks on U.S. companies or government networks.

U.S. intelligence analysts have linked Iran to cyberattacks in 2012 on oil and gas companies in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, which are allied with Western powers that have tightened economic and oil sanctions against Iran in an effort to slow Iran’s nuclear program. The attack on state-owned oil company Saudi Aramco resulted in damage to 30,000 computers, which had to be replaced.

In 2010, a sophisticated cyberattack against Iran’s nuclear program was revealed when security researchers discovered a computer worm dubbed Stuxnet. That campaign, which damaged 1,000 uranium-enrichment centrifuges at the Natanz nuclear facility, eventually was linked to the United States and Israel. The two governments have never officially acknowledged responsibility.....snip~
 
Re: Iranian hackers are targeting U.S. Officials through Social Networks, report says

As I recall, though I have no link, or regime bragged about conducting a cyber attack on Iran. When it happened I don't know if it was said but the bragging was done in August before some presidential convention and claims the dictator was doing nothing about Iran? I don't recall the congress declaring war in Iran yet our dictator chose a first strike. Yes I know it's only cyber war....what could happen in retaliation.....just the EOTWAWKI.

A group of Iranian hackers has waged a creative campaign of cyber-espionage, targeting hundreds of high-ranking U.S. defense, diplomatic and other officials who are lured to fake Web sites through an elaborate social media network that features a bogus online news site, according to a new report.

Since at least 2011, the hackers have targeted current and former senior military officials, including a four-star admiral; current and former foreign policy officials who work on nonproliferation issues; as well as personnel from more than 10 U.S. and Israeli defense contractors, according to iSight Partners, a cybersecurity research firm.

2014-04-29T212433Z_01_TOR421_RTRIDSP_3_TWITTER-RESULTS-908.jpg


The operation, which the firm dubbed Newscaster, uses sites such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn to draw in the hackers’ targets, iSight Partners researchers said. Its centerpiece is a fake news site called NewsOnAir.org, which features foreign policy and defense stories.

The hackers appear to be after intelligence that could support weapon systems development, or provide insight into the U.S. military, the U.S.-Israel alliance or nuclear negotiations between Iran and the United States and other powers, the report said. The researchers could not determine, however, what data might have been stolen

The social networking is so elaborate they’ve got connections to the highest levels of American policy,’’ said John Hultquist, iSight Partners’ head of intelligence on cyber-espionage......snip~

Iranian hackers are targeting U.S. officials through social networks, report says - The Washington Post


Well.....seems the Iranians have breached our people. What say ye?
 
Re: Iranian hackers are targeting U.S. Officials through Social Networks, report says

This is news?

Yeesh. What is the post going to tell us next - that the Iranians are working on nukes and may have even taken over our embassy a few years back?

Mornin' CPW. :2wave: Yeah.....well this is the plight of the MS Media under BO. The reason I posted it is due to the Iranians.....Not being the most apt at hacking. Yet here they are all into our diplomatic people electronic devices that they themselves use. While playing with Social media.

So what do you think it shows.....when those who are not known to be competent or a major threat start doing something they were not even considered capable of doing?
 
Re: Iranian hackers are targeting U.S. Officials through Social Networks, report says

As I recall, though I have no link, or regime bragged about conducting a cyber attack on Iran. When it happened I don't know if it was said but the bragging was done in August before some presidential convention and claims the dictator was doing nothing about Iran? I don't recall the congress declaring war in Iran yet our dictator chose a first strike. Yes I know it's only cyber war....what could happen in retaliation.....just the EOTWAWKI.


Mornin' Cal. :2wave: I am not sure.....I don't recall BO or his team saying much about the hacking of the Iranians. I don't remember him or his team doing any bragging nor taking Kudos for this.
 
Re: Iranian hackers are targeting U.S. Officials through Social Networks, report says

Poor man's rifle in a modern war.

And the stupid thing is our nation has fired the first shot, bragged about it, and will b & moan when retaliated against.

Thanks for the link Cal. :2wave: Still who would have ever thought that the Iranians would become competent enough to be classified as Good Hackers.
 
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