The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center (DC3) have jointly released a Cybersecurity Advisory to alert network defenders about ongoing threats from Iranian cyber actors. As of August 2024, these actors are actively targeting organizations across various sectors in the United States, including education, finance, healthcare, and defense, as well as local government entities. The advisory highlights that this group’s operations not only aim to infiltrate U.S. networks but also seek to develop access that could facilitate collaboration with ransomware affiliates to deploy ransomware attacks. Additionally, these cyber actors are linked to the Government of Iran and conduct computer network exploitation to gather sensitive technical data, particularly against organizations in Israel, Azerbaijan, and the United Arab Emirates.
The advisory provides crucial information about the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) used by these threat actors, along with indicators of compromise (IOCs) to help organizations identify potential intrusions. It also references a previous advisory released on September 15, 2020, which detailed similar activities concerning vulnerabilities in VPNs exploited by Iranian threat actors. The intelligence gathered in the advisory is based on ongoing FBI investigations and technical analyses that reveal the extent of this group’s intrusion activities against U.S. entities, as well as interactions with organizations that have experienced these malicious cyber operations.
Organizations are urged to adopt the recommended mitigation strategies outlined in the advisory to safeguard themselves against potential attacks from Iranian cyber actors. This includes implementing security measures, conducting regular assessments of their network defenses, and remaining vigilant against suspicious activity. The advisory emphasizes the importance of proactive cybersecurity measures, particularly in light of the evolving tactics employed by these threat actors.
In the event that organizations suspect they have been targeted or compromised, the FBI and CISA encourage immediate action by contacting local FBI field offices for assistance. They also recommend reporting incidents through CISA’s Incident Reporting Form to facilitate a coordinated response. For further information regarding Iran’s state-sponsored cyber activities, organizations are directed to visit CISA’s Iran Cyber Threat webpage, which offers additional resources and guidance on mitigating such threats.
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