FBI alerts US firms to Iranian hacker threat
SQL Injection, spear phishing, and water-holing attacks thought to be originating from Iran, warns report
The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has warned Americian businesses that they could be targeted by Iranian computer hackers.
Issued over the weekend, the flash warning seen by Reuters suggests a sophisticated Iranian hacking operation is at work. According to the confidential FBI document, Iranian hackers are targeting US-based defence contractors, energy firms and educational institutions.
A report issued to US organisations provides technical details about the types of malicious software and attack techniques that could be used by Iranian hackers.
It also contains advice on how to prevent or stop the attacks and provides contact details for any businesses that believe they may have been a target.
The warning centres on Operation Cleaver, a coordinated global cyber attack on critical infrastructure perpertated by Iran-based hackers, which was exposed by US security firm Cylance earlier this month.
"By exposing our intelligence on Cleaver, we hope the information we share can reveal the techniques and tools of this group, drawing global attention to attacks on critical infrastructure and preventing attacks which could endanger human lives," said Stuart McClure, CEO of Cylance.
Methods of attack used by Iranian hackers include SQL injection, spear phishing, and water-holing, all of which have been used to extract confidential information from organisations across 16 countries.
While the FBI warning states that the attacks originate from Iranian-based IP addresses, it falls short of directly accusing the Iranian government of perpetrating the attacks.
However, speaking last year, General William Shelton, commander of the US Air Force Space Command, said Iran's growing cyber capabilities are a "force to be reckoned with".
The latest flash report follows a previous FBI warning made earlier this month. It warned that computer hackers and other cyber criminals have used malicious software to launch what it called "destructive" attacks against American organisations.