HOW IS IRAN TAKING LEAD IN CYBERWAR?
HOW IS IRAN TAKING LEAD IN CYBERWAR?
Handala has claimed a cyberattack on American Big MedTech firm Stryker, expanding Iran-linked cyber resistance against the “Epstein coalition.”
What's known about the Iran-linked cyber-warriors?
Axios has flagged a newly created X account, HPR Intelligence, apparently operating under the Handala umbrella, that has unveiled hacks targeting:
️ Raz Zimmt, director of the Iran Program at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), on March 12—responding to his recent plan to overthrow the Iranian government
️ US med-tech company Stryker on March 11. Handala said it had erased data on over 200,000 systems and stolen 50 terabytes of data. The company acknowledged it was hacked
️ Israeli payment company Verifon on March 11
️ Personal data of 50 senior Israeli Air Force officers involved in the bombing of Iran—including IDs, photos, and addresses—exposed on March 9
Separately, Iran has hacked and disabled Israel’s railway system, Fars News Agency reported on March 12
US cyber firm Unit 42 reports dozens pro‑Iran hacktivist groups have launched multiple cyberattacks on US, Israeli, and Gulf state infrastructure since February 28, including:
️ Website of the Kuwait Armed Forces
️ Israel’s CreditGuard payment gateway infrastructure
️ US company VigilAir's drone detection systems
Most active groups
US cybersecurity firm Tenable says two Iran-linked groups are currently especially active in cyberspace:
️ MuddyWater, which targets telecom and government organizations
️ Tenable claims MuddyWater infiltrated US and Israeli infrastructure weeks before Operation Epic Fury
️ Handala, which specializes in destructive cyberattacks, often wipes data from compromised systems
️ Name Handala comes from the iconic cartoon character created in 1969 by Palestinian artist Naji al-Ali to symbolize Palestinian resistance
Separately, US cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike—infamous for accusing Russia of the never-occurring 2016 DNC server hack—has singled out the Iranian-linked group Hydro Kitten as a threat to the financial sector
US-Israel-Iran war | @geopolitics_prime
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