The 2010 Stuxnet worm attack on the Natanz nuclear plant was eye-opening to Iranian officials, and since the attack, Iran has reportedly been taking cybersecurity seriously. Although Iran may not be likely to initiate a cyberwar scenario, the majority of the cyber-espionage campaigns originating out of Tehran has been directed towards the US and Israel. Many of the campaigns have been traced back to state-sponsored hacking groups called Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) groups.
Newly published research has revealed that a three-year-long campaign may targeting the US and Israel was likely some of these APTs working together on a sophisticated offensive. Researchers at ClearSky have published a report that details how the campaign has been ongoing for so many years. The campaign was named “Fox Kitten,” and enabled offensive hackers in Iran to gain access to numerous networks across multiple industries. Researchers claim that Fox Kitten is the country’s most continuous and comprehensive campaign.
