Iran targets ‘Israeli’ journalists in phishing campaign
Note: AI technology was used to generate this article’s audio.
- ‘Israel’s’ Shin Bet and National Cyber Directorate warn of a new wave of phishing attacks allegedly linked to Iranian intelligence operatives.
- Attackers reportedly impersonate journalists and other familiar figures to steal credentials, access sensitive material and compromise mobile devices.
‘Israel’s’ Shin Bet security service and National Cyber Directorate warned Sunday of a new wave of phishing attacks targeting ‘Israeli’ journalists and media professionals.
The agencies said the campaign is aimed at obtaining sensitive information amid recent political and security developments in the region. They said they had identified the attempts and were working to prevent and disrupt them.
According to the warning, attackers typically approach journalists through WhatsApp or Telegram, impersonating familiar figures and tailoring messages to the target’s professional interests and reporting beat.
The messages may contain fake collaboration proposals, interview invitations or requests for conversations. Attackers then encourage recipients to click links to schedule meetings.
The links can reportedly direct targets to fake pages designed to steal Google account credentials or prompt them to open malicious links and files capable of compromising mobile devices.
In some cases, the attackers reportedly impersonate well-known journalists when approaching their colleagues.
The agencies said the campaign seeks access to journalistic sources, work materials, correspondence and other sensitive information related to political and security developments.
They assessed that the information could be used for espionage, intelligence gathering, influence operations and other activities.
The warning added that similar efforts are targeting people working in political, public, governmental and security fields.
