Microsoft cracks down on Iran threat actor

Updated on: 03 June 2022

Damien Black
Senior Journalist

The tech giant’s Digital Crimes Unit has taken legal action against Bohrium after intercepting a spear-phishing campaign targeting users in the Middle East, India, and the US, it announced on Twitter.

The campaign launched by the Iranian-backed group targeted “sectors including tech, transportation, government, and education,” said Microsoft spokeswoman Amy Hogan-Burney.

“Bohrium actors create fake social media profiles, often posing as recruiters,” she added. “Once personal information was obtained from the victims, Bohrium sent malicious emails with links that ultimately infected their target’s computers with malware.”

Bohrium’s misdeeds were detected by Microsoft’s threat intelligence center, which tracks state-backed cybercrime outfits.

Microsoft has filed a complaint with the US District Court in Virginia, requesting a restraining order be granted against Bohrium in accordance with the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, and a hearing has been scheduled for June 10.