Exclusive: Hackers working in the interests of the Iranian government have attempted to break into the personal email accounts of staff at the WHO during the coronavirus outbreak, sources told Reuters
FILE PHOTO: Traffic passes the Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization during the coronavirus disease outbreak in Washington, D.C., U.S. March 22, 2020. Picture taken with a long exposure. REUTERS/Raphael Satter/File Photo
The latest effort has been ongoing since March 2 and attempted to steal passwords from WHO staff by sending malicious messages designed to mimic Google web services to their personal email accounts, a common hacking technique known as “phishing,” according to four people briefed on the attacks. Reuters confirmed their findings by reviewing a string of malicious websites and other forensic data.
Iran’s government denied any involvement. “These are all sheer lies to put more pressure on Iran,” said a spokesman at Iran’s information technology ministry. “Iran has been a victim of hacking.” The motives of the hackers was not clear, but targeting officials at their personal accounts is a longstanding intelligence-gathering technique.
Iran has suffered enormous loss of life from the coronavirus, and infections have reached the inner circle of the country’s leadership.
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