As the Russian attacks on Ukraine spill over into the cyber...

As the Russian attacks on Ukraine spill over into the cyber realm, state-sponsored Iranian hackers have launched a global cyber espionage campaign targeting Europe, North America and Australia.

In a rare joint release, US and UK security agencies put out the warning that a group known as MuddyWater is targeting a range of industries including government organisations and small private businesses. Some of the sectors targeted include transportation, health care and critical infrastructure.

The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) said MuddyWater is under the control of the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security. The group’s remit is to steal data including passwords and online accesses from other countries. It is then given to the Iranian government and its allies.

Despite being on the other side of the world, Australia is a target. Last year, the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) warned that Iranian government-sponsored hackers were attempting to gain access to systems using vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange.

The spokesperson said ACSC is “encouraging Australian organisations to urgently adopt an enhanced cyber security posture in light of the heightened threat environment”.