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After hacking govt bank, Israeli cyberattackers steal $90 million from Iran's crypto exchange
An Israeli group of cyberattackers called 'Predatory Sparrow' have taken responsibility for the attack as the country tries to infiltrate internal systems of Iran to further weaken its position amid conflict with Israel read more
Representations of cryptocurrency Binance are seen in front of displayed Nobitex logo and Iran flag in this illustration taken November 3, 2022. REUTERS
Israeli hackers have reportedly stolen at least $90 million from Iran's largest cryptocurrency exchange, several crypto tracking firms have reported.
An Israeli group of cyberattackers called 'Predatory Sparrow' have taken responsibility for the attack as the country tries to infiltrate internal systems of Iran to further weaken its position amid conflict with Israel.
Which exchange was affected?
In a post on X written in Farsi, the hackers claimed responsibility for targeting the Iranian crypto exchange Nobitex, alleging it was used by Iran to evade international sanctions.
In an unusual move, they may have effectively discarded the stolen cryptocurrency by transferring it to digital wallets they cannot access, according to multiple cybersecurity experts.
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Nobitex has acknowledged the attacks, adding a note for investors that it has 'suspended' crypto-related activities as a precaution. Crypto-tracking firms like Elliptic and TRM Labs have confirmed the cyberattacks on Nobitex and said that the stolen currencies were sent to wallets or crypto accounts.
Iran's state-owned bank hacked
An anti-Iranian government hacking group with potential ties to Israel and a track record of destructive cyberattacks on Iran claimed in social media posts on Tuesday that it had destroyed data at Iran's state-owned Bank Sepah.
The same group hacked the bank because they accused it of helping fund Iran's military, according to one of the messages posted online.
The hack comes amid increasing hostilities between Israel and Iran, after Israel attacked multiple military and nuclear targets in Iran last week. Both sides have launched multiple missile attacks against each other in the days since.
Customers were having problems accessing their accounts, according to Israeli media, opens new tab.
'Disrupting the availability of this bank's funds, or triggering a broader collapse of trust in Iranian banks, could have major impacts there,' Rob Joyce, the former top cybersecurity official at the NSA, said in a post on X.
With inputs from Reuters
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