The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the FBI said malicious cyber actors affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps are targeting personal and business online accounts of people associated with national political organizations and those involved in Iranian and Middle Eastern affairs.
In a joint fact sheet, the agencies warned that the IRGC actors use social engineering techniques in email and chat applications, probably to undermine confidence in U.S. democratic institutions.
The document, created to help individuals and organizations enhance their cybersecurity and resilience, outlines recommended mitigation strategies and best practices, including protecting personal and business accounts with phishing-resistant multifactor authentication, using strong and unique passwords, enabling antivirus and anti-malware security features on devices, and keeping applications and operating systems updated.
Jeff Greene, CISA executive assistant director for cybersecurity, said individuals and organizations associated with national political organizations or campaigns are urged to review and implement the recommendations in the fact sheet, noting that “IRGC cyber actors pose an ongoing and escalating risk.”
The fact sheet follows April sanctions on several companies and individuals associated with Iran-backed cyber operations to infiltrate U.S. entities.