Hack of Telegram Channel of Two Israeli Journalists and Publication of Hitler and Khamenei Images

Israeli media reported on Saturday, November 12, that the hacking group 'Iran Cyber Army' has hacked the Telegram channel of two Israeli journalists. According to Channel 12 Israel, Yaron Avraham, a reporter for this television, and Yaniz Kuzin from the Israeli Army Radio have been unable to access their Telegram channel over the past 24 hours, and their profile picture has been changed to that of Qassem Soleimani, the former commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The hackers have published threats regarding rocket attacks and images of Adolf Hitler and Ali Khamenei on this Telegram channel, which has 38,000 followers. Yaron Avraham expressed dissatisfaction with the hacking of his Telegram channel in an interview with Channel 12, stating that the hackers known as 'Iran Cyber Army' claimed that their action demonstrates Israel's 'weakness.' He added that efforts are underway to recover his Telegram channel. Cybercriminal activities attributed to the Islamic Republic against Israel, the United States, and other Western countries have a history. In a joint advisory issued by three U.S. security agencies, including the National Security Agency (NSA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, along with several security agencies from Canada and Australia on October 17, warnings were issued about the dangers posed by Iranian cyber actors against several critical infrastructures. These security agencies announced that Iranian cyber attackers have targeted and put at risk several critical infrastructure sectors, including health, government centers, information technology, engineering, and energy, through malicious activities. They emphasized that attackers have attempted to guess common user passwords using methods such as 'brute force' attacks to decrypt sensitive data and 'password spraying' attacks. According to the security agencies from the U.S., Canada, and Australia, the next step for Iranian cyber attackers is to sell stolen information to cybercriminals to carry out further sabotage. The advisory issued by the security agencies suggested strategies to counter the tactics of cyber attackers, including continuous monitoring and enhancing network security accuracy, educating users about cyber threats, and using strong passwords. The advisory warned network security defenders that the harmful actions of Iranian cyber attackers could lead to permanent damage to sensitive systems. Earlier, Microsoft released a report on October 16 regarding digital threats, stating that the governments of Iran, Russia, and China are increasingly relying on criminal networks to conduct cyber espionage and hacking operations against the United States and other countries. For example, Microsoft analysts found that a hacker group with links to Iran attempted to sell hacked personal information by infiltrating an Israeli dating site or extorting money through it. Microsoft concluded that the hackers had two objectives: to embarrass Israelis and to make money. Networks associated with Russia, China, and Iran have also targeted American voters by using fake websites and social media accounts to spread misleading information about the 2024 elections. U.S. federal officials have also accused the Iranian government of secretly supporting protests in the U.S. against the war in Gaza. Warnings from Canada about cyber threats from the Islamic Republic, China, and Russia. Reuters: Hackers linked to the Islamic Republic have published stolen emails from Trump's campaign. Warnings from Western security agencies about the access of Iranian cyber actors to infrastructure networks. Increased collusion of 'cybercriminals' with the governments of Iran, Russia, and China against the U.S. and its allies.