Latest news with #BankSepah
TechCrunch
5 hours ago
- Politics
- TechCrunch
Pro-Israel hacktivist group claims responsibility for alleged Iranian bank hack
The pro-Israeli hacktivist group Predatory Sparrow claimed on Tuesday to have hacked and taken down Iran's Bank Sepah. The group, which is also known for its Persian name Gonjeshke Darande, claimed responsibility for the hack on X. 'We, 'Gonjeshke Darande,' conducted cyberattacks which destroyed the data of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' 'Bank Sepah,'' the group wrote. The group claimed Bank Sepah is an institution that 'circumvented international sanctions and used the people of Iran's money to finance the regime's terrorist proxies, its ballistic missile program and its military nuclear program.' Contact Us Do you have more information about Predatory Sparrow? Or other hacking groups active in Israel and Iran? From a non-work device and network, you can contact Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai securely on Signal at +1 917 257 1382, or via Telegram and Keybase @lorenzofb, or Do you have more information about Predatory Sparrow? Or other hacking groups active in Israel and Iran? From a non-work device and network, you can contact Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai securely on Signal at +1 917 257 1382, or via Telegram and Keybase @lorenzofb, or email . According to the independent news site Iran International, there are reports of 'widespread banking disruptions' across the country. Iran International said several Bank Sepah branches were closed on Tuesday, and customers told the publication that they were unable to access their accounts. Aerie Oseran, a correspondent for i24NEWS, posted pictures of ATMs in Iran displaying an error message. TechCrunch could not independently verify the group's alleged cyberattack. We reached out to two Bank Sepah Iranian email addresses, but the messages returned an error. Bank Sepah's affiliates in the U.K. and Italy did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Predatory Sparrow did not respond to a request for comment sent to their X account, and via Telegram. The alleged cyberattack on Bank Sepah comes as Israel and Iran are bombing each other's countries, a conflict that started after Israel began targeting nuclear energy facilities, military bases, and senior Iranian military officials on Friday. It's unclear who is behind Predatory Sparrow. The group clearly fashions itself as a pro-Israel or at least anti-Iran hacktivist group, and has targeted companies and organizations in Iran for years. Cybersecurity researchers believe the group has had success in the past and made credible claims. 'Despite appearances this actor is not all bluster,' John Hultquist, the chief analyst at Google's Mandiant, wrote on X. According to Rob Joyce, who previously worked at the NSA and the Biden administration, 'Predatory Sparrow's past cyber attacks on Iranian steel plants and gas stations have demonstrated tangible effects in Iran.' Predatory Sparrow's most eye-catching alleged hacks have been against a steel maker, which allegedly caused an explosive fire in the plant, and against Iran's gas stations, which caused disruptions to citizens trying to refill their cars' gas tanks.
NDTV
6 hours ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Suspected Israeli Hackers Claim To Destroy Data At Iran's Bank Sepah
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 group - known as Gonjeshke Darande, or "Predatory Sparrow" - 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. Reuters could not immediately verify the attack on Bank Sepah. The bank's website was offline on Tuesday and its London-based subsidiary, Bank Sepah International plc, did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. Customers were having problems accessing their accounts, according to Israeli media. Gonjeshke Darande did not respond to multiple messages sent via social media. "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. In 2022, Gonjeshke Darande claimed responsibility for a cyberattack against an Iranian steel production facility. The sophisticated attack caused a large fire at the facility, resulting in tangible, offline damage. Such attacks are usually beyond the capabilities of activist hackers, security experts say, and would be more in line with the capabilities of a nation state. The group has also been publicly linked by cybersecurity researchers to a 2021 cyberattack that caused widespread outages at gas stations across Iran. Israel has never formally acknowledged that it is behind the group, although Israeli media has widely reported Gonjeshke Darande as "Israel-linked".
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Pro-Israel hacktivist group claims reponsibility for alleged Iranian bank hack
The pro-Israeli hacktivist group Predatory Sparrow claimed on Tuesday to have hacked and taken down Iran's Bank Sepah. The group, which is also known for its Persian name Gonjeshke Darande, claimed responsibility for the hack on X. 'We, 'Gonjeshke Darande,' conducted cyberattacks which destroyed the data of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' 'Bank Sepah,'' the group wrote. The group claimed Bank Sepah is an institution that 'circumvented international sanctions and used the people of Iran's money to finance the regime's terrorist proxies, its ballistic missile program and its military nuclear program.' Do you have more information about Predatory Sparrow? Or other hacking groups active in Israel and Iran? From a non-work device and network, you can contact Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai securely on Signal at +1 917 257 1382, or via Telegram and Keybase @lorenzofb, or email. According to the independent news site Iran International, there are reports of 'widespread banking disruptions' across the country. Iran International said several Bank Sepah branches were closed on Tuesday, and customers told the publication that they were unable to access their accounts. Aerie Oseran, a correspondent for i24NEWS, posted pictures of ATMs in Iran displaying an error message. TechCrunch could not independently verify the group's alleged cyberattack. We reached out to two Bank Sepah Iranian email addresses, but the messages returned an error. Bank Sepah's affiliates in the U.K. and Italy did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Predatory Sparrow did not respond to a request for comment sent to their X account, and via Telegram. The alleged cyberattack on Bank Sepah comes as Israel and Iran are bombing each other's countries, a conflict that started after Israel began targeting nuclear energy facilities, military bases, and senior Iranian military officials on Friday. It's unclear who is behind Predatory Sparrow. The group clearly fashions itself as a pro-Israel or at least anti-Iran hacktivist group, and has targeted companies and organizations in Iran for years. Cybersecurity researchers believe the group has had success in the past and made credible claims. 'Despite appearances this actor is not all bluster,' John Hultquist, the chief analyst at Google's Mandiant, wrote on X. According to Rob Joyce, who previously worked at the NSA and the Biden administration, 'Predatory Sparrow's past cyber attacks on Iranian steel plants and gas stations have demonstrated tangible effects in Iran.' Predatory Sparrow's most eye-catching alleged hacks have been against a steel maker, which allegedly caused an explosive fire in the plant, and against Iran's gas stations, which caused disruptions to citizens trying to refill their cars' gas tanks.
Bloomberg
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Pro-Israel Hackers Say They Launched Cyberattack Against Iran
The 'Predatory Sparrow' group claimed to disrupt Bank Sepah 'Hacktivist' group aims for psychological impact, expert says By Save A pro-Israel hacking group claimed responsibility on Tuesday for a disruptive cyberattack against a major Iranian bank, the latest development in the ongoing military conflict between the two countries. Bank Sepah, which the US sanctioned in 2007 for alleged links to Iran's nuclear weapons program, is experiencing disruptions, according to local news reports. The full extent of the hack's impact remains unclear.
TechCrunch
7 hours ago
- Politics
- TechCrunch
Pro-Israel hacktivist group claims reponsibility for alleged Iranian bank hack
The pro-Israeli hacktivist group Predatory Sparrow claimed on Tuesday to have hacked and taken down Iran's Bank Sepah. The group, which is also known for its Persian name Gonjeshke Darande, claimed responsibility for the hack on X. 'We, 'Gonjeshke Darande,' conducted cyberattacks which destroyed the data of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' 'Bank Sepah,'' the group wrote. The group claimed Bank Sepah was an institution that 'circumvented international sanctions and used the people of Iran's money to finance the regime's terrorist proxies, its ballistic missile program and its military nuclear program.' Contact Us Do you have more information about Predatory Sparrow? Or other hacking groups active in Israel and Iran? From a non-work device and network, you can contact Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai securely on Signal at +1 917 257 1382, or via Telegram and Keybase @lorenzofb, or Do you have more information about Predatory Sparrow? Or other hacking groups active in Israel and Iran? From a non-work device and network, you can contact Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai securely on Signal at +1 917 257 1382, or via Telegram and Keybase @lorenzofb, or email . According to the independent news site Iran International, there are reports of 'widespread banking disruptions' across the country. Iran International said several Bank Sepah branches were closed on Tuesday, and customers told the publication that they were unable to access their accounts. Aerie Oseran, a correspondent for i24NEWS, posted pictures of ATMs in Iran displaying an error message. TechCrunch could not independently verify the group's alleged cyberattack. We reached out to two Bank Sepah Iranian email addresses, but the messages returned an error. Bank Sepah's affiliates in the U.K. and Italy did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Predatory Sparrow did not respond to a request for comment sent to their X account, and via Telegram. The alleged cyberattack on Bank Sepah comes as Israel and Iran are bombing each other's countries, a conflict that started after Israel began targeting nuclear energy facilities, military bases, and senior Iranian military officials on Friday. It's unclear who is behind Predatory Sparrow. The group clearly fashions itself as a pro-Israel or at least anti-Iran hacktivist group, and has targeted companies and organizations in Iran for years. Cybersecurity researchers believe the group has had success in the past and made credible claims. 'Despite appearances this actor is not all bluster,' John Hultquist, the chief analyst at Google's Mandiant, wrote on X. According to Rob Joyce, who previously worked at the NSA and the Biden administration, 'Predatory Sparrow's past cyber attacks on Iranian steel plants and gas stations have demonstrated tangible effects in Iran.' Predatory Sparrow's most eye-catching alleged hacks have been against a steel maker, which allegedly caused an explosive fire in the plant, and against Iran's gas stations, which caused disruptions to citizens trying to refill their cars' gas tanks.
