Iranian-linked hackers target Mideast energy firms

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — An Iranian government-aligned group of hackers launched a major campaign targeting Mideast energy firms and others ahead of U.S. sanctions on Iran, a cybersecurity firm said Tuesday, warning further attacks remain possible as America re-imposes others on Tehran.

While the firm Fireeye says the so-called “spear-phishing” email campaign only involves hackers stealing information from infect- ed computers, it involves a similar type of malware previously used to inject a program that destroyed tens of thousands of terminals in Saudi Arabia.

Thefirmwarnsthatraisesthedanger level ahead of America re-imposing crushing sanctions on Iran’s oil industry in early November.

“Whenever we see Iranian threat groups active in this region, particularly in line with geopolitical events, we have to be concerned they might either be engaged in or pre-positioning for a disruptive attack,” Alister Shepherd, a director for a Fireeye subsidiary, told The Associated Press.

Iran’s mission to the United Nations rejected Fireeye’s report, calling it “categorically false.”

“Iran’s cyber capabilities are purely defensive, and these claims madebyprivatefirmsareaformof false advertising designed to attract clients,” the mission said in a statement. “They should not be taken at face value.”

Fireeye, which often works with governments and large corporations, refers to the group of Iranian hackers as APT33, an acronym for “advanced persistent threat.”