Treasury says Iranian hackers posed as anti-Israel activists

The Treasury Department named and sanctioned six Iranian military hackers Friday, accusing them of cyberattacks against U.S. water companies.

The Treasury Department named and sanctioned six Iranian military hackers Friday, accusing them of cyberattacks against U.S. water companies.

The attacks, most of which happened late last year, did not result in any American critical services being interrupted, the Treasury said in its announcement. But they highlight the risk of critical infrastructure connecting to the internet, and how regional physical conflict can spill into global cyberattacks.

The hackers posed online as a group of amateur anti-Israel activists calling themselves the “CyberAv3ngers,” who openly support Iran. The group maintains a presence on Telegram. After Israel’s invasion of Gaza, the CyberAv3ngers ramped up cyberattacks against Israeli infrastructure, particularly water systems.

A group of U.S. agencies had previously identified the group as being a front for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a military branch.

The Treasury sometimes sanctions hackers working for foreign military and intelligence services for activities that the U.S. and its allies say go beyond fair play in cyberspace, like attacking civilian infrastructure. The sanctions mean American people and companies are barred from doing business with the six individuals.

https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/iran-cyber-hack-unitronics-sanction-israel-rcna137012

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