Tag: middle-east
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AI Hallucinations Nearly Triggered a US-China Military Confrontation
An AI-generated intelligence report falsely identified weapons on a Chinese ship, nearly triggering a US military operation during the Iran war. According to CNN, four sources familiar with the episode say an intelligence report circulated through the military claiming a Chinese vessel in the Middle East was carrying components for a nuclear weapons program. The…
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GISEC Global highlights growing influence of women leaders in cyber resilience
Female cyber security leaders from government, finance, research and international organisations share how opportunity, inclusion and confidence are helping shape the next generation of cyber talent across the Middle East and beyond First seen on computerweekly.com Jump to article: www.computerweekly.com/news/366650552/GISEC-Global-highlights-growing-influence-of-women-leaders-in-cyber-resilience
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GISEC Global highlights growing influence of women leaders in cyber resilience
Female cyber security leaders from government, finance, research and international organisations share how opportunity, inclusion and confidence are helping shape the next generation of cyber talent across the Middle East and beyond First seen on computerweekly.com Jump to article: www.computerweekly.com/news/366650552/GISEC-Global-highlights-growing-influence-of-women-leaders-in-cyber-resilience
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Iranian strikes on AWS facilities left customer data beyond recovery in Bahrain, UAE
Six months after Iranian drone strikes tore through its Middle East infrastructure, Amazon Web Services (AWS) has acknowledged the permanent loss of customer data in Bahrain … First seen on helpnetsecurity.com Jump to article: www.helpnetsecurity.com/2026/09/17/aws-middle-east-outage-permanent-data-loss-bahrain-uae/
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The Evolution of Hacktivism in Hybrid Warfare: Modern Tactics and Real-World Impact
In this post we examine how modern hacktivism has evolved into a tool of global hybrid warfare, analyzing crowdsourced attack tactics, media-driven propaganda, and real-world impacts across Ukraine, the Middle East, European Union, and NATO nations. First seen on securityboulevard.com Jump to article: securityboulevard.com/2026/08/the-evolution-of-hacktivism-in-hybrid-warfare-modern-tactics-and-real-world-impact/
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Iran-linked hackers expand infrastructure across Europe and Middle East, report says
Researchers said they identified servers and domains associated with several countries in Europe and the Middle East, potentially pointing to a broader targeting profile for an Iranian hacking group. First seen on therecord.media Jump to article: therecord.media/iran-linked-hackers-expand-infrastructure-europe-middle-east
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Nvidia-backed Open Secure AI Alliance puts AI security and sovereignty in focus for Middle East
Tags: ai, control, cyber, data, government, infrastructure, intelligence, middle-east, nvidia, risk, toolIndustry coalition aims to develop open tools for securing artificial intelligence systems, a model that could resonate strongly in the UAE and Saudi Arabia as governments and enterprises seek greater control over AI infrastructure, data and cyber risk First seen on computerweekly.com Jump to article: www.computerweekly.com/news/366646515/Nvidia-backed-open-secure-AI-alliance-puts-AI-security-and-sovereignty-in-focus-for-Middle-East
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OctLurk-Linked Hackers Deploy BINDCLOAK Backdoor Against Middle East Governments
The published Part 2 of a two-part technical analysis exposing BINDCLOAK, a previously undocumented modular backdoor deployed against government entities in the Middle East by an East Asia-linked threat actor tracked as OctLurk. The disclosure follows Part 1, which detailed the TELESHIM backdoor and the MIXEDKEY loader used earlier in the same multi-stage intrusion chain.…
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Nimbus Manticore Deploys NightLedger and Turns Victim Systems Into Covert Relays
The Iranian state-backed hacking group tracked as Nimbus Manticore (aka GalaxyGato, Mirage Kitten, Smoke Sandstorm, Subtle Snail, and UNC1549) has been attributed to a fresh set of attacks targeting entities across the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia.The intrusions involve the use of a previously undocumented Windows backdoor called NightLedger and two custom WebSocket tunnelers,…
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TELESHIM Abuses Telegram for C2 in Attacks Against Middle East Governments
Cybersecurity researchers have flagged fresh malicious cyber activity by a threat actor with ties to East Asia targeting government entities in the Middle East.The intrusions have resulted in the deployment of previously unreported malware families dubbed TELESHIM, MIXEDKEY, and BINDCLOAK, according to Zscaler ThreatLabz. The cybersecurity firm said it detected the campaign earlier this month.…
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How the Gentlemen Ransomware Group Built a Multi-Region Attack Machine in H1 2026
Ransomware’s biggest story in the first half of 2026 was not only about established names maintaining dominance. A newer player, The Gentlemen ransomware group, emerged as one of the most geographically active operators, expanding its reach across Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East & Africa, and the Americas. First seen on thecyberexpress.com Jump to article: thecyberexpress.com/the-gentlemen-ransomware-group/
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Middle East faces new cyber reality: attackers logging in, not breaking in
Geopolitical tensions, stolen credentials and increasingly rapid attacker movement are reshaping the Middle East’s cyber threat landscape, putting pressure on organisations to look beyond traditional, alert-driven security models First seen on computerweekly.com Jump to article: www.computerweekly.com/news/366646049/Middle-East-faces-new-cyber-reality-attackers-logging-in-not-breaking-in
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Hackers Hide C2 Traffic Inside Telegram While Targeting Middle East Governments
Hackers are increasingly blending malicious traffic with legitimate services, and a newly uncovered campaign shows how far this tactic has evolved. The activity has been attributed to a threat actor with links to East Asia, with researchers uncovering a previously undocumented malware suite comprising TELESHIM, MIXEDKEY, and a final-stage implant dubbed BINDCLOAK. The campaign demonstrates…
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Hackers Hide C2 Traffic Inside Telegram While Targeting Middle East Governments
Hackers are increasingly blending malicious traffic with legitimate services, and a newly uncovered campaign shows how far this tactic has evolved. The activity has been attributed to a threat actor with links to East Asia, with researchers uncovering a previously undocumented malware suite comprising TELESHIM, MIXEDKEY, and a final-stage implant dubbed BINDCLOAK. The campaign demonstrates…
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Iran abused mobile networks’ vulnerabilities to locate US military in the Middle East, report says
The Iranian government exploited well-known flaws in cellphone networks to locate and then strike U.S. military personnel in the build-up and beginning of the war. First seen on techcrunch.com Jump to article: techcrunch.com/2026/07/14/iran-abused-mobile-networks-vulnerabilities-to-locate-u-s-military-in-the-middle-east-report-says/
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Iran abused mobile networks’ vulnerabilities to locate U.S. military in the Middle East, report says
The Iranian government exploited well-known flaws in cellphone networks to locate and then strike U.S. military personnel in the build-up and beginning of the war. First seen on techcrunch.com Jump to article: techcrunch.com/2026/07/14/iran-abused-mobile-networks-vulnerabilities-to-locate-u-s-military-in-the-middle-east-report-says/
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Middle East urged to prioritise prevention as cyber workforce gap hits 300,000
As cyber attacks accelerate and organisations expand their digital footprints, security leaders are being urged to prioritise prevention and zero-trust architectures over expectations that AI will close the region’s growing skills gap First seen on computerweekly.com Jump to article: www.computerweekly.com/news/366645533/Middle-East-urged-to-prioritize-prevention-as-cyber-workforce-gap-hits-300000
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Sniper Dz Scams Target MENA Users via Fake Facebook Offers and Browser Alerts
Cybersecurity researchers have disclosed details of fraudulent activity targeting users across the Middle East and North Africa by employing various fraudulent Facebook accounts impersonating politicians, public figures, and trusted organizations.”These accounts promoted fake offers, including free mobile internet packages, financial compensation, and government subsidy programs,” Group-IB First seen on thehackernews.com Jump to article: thehackernews.com/2026/06/sniper-dz-scams-target-mena-users-via.html
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INTERPOL Operation Takes Down Sniper Dz Phishing Platform, Arrests Administrator
An INTERPOL-led operation last month resulted in the disruption of Sniper Dz, a decade-long phishing-as-a-service (PhaaS) platform, Group-IB said Thursday.The effort, codenamed Operation Ramz, took place between October 2025 and February 2026, and saw authorities from 13 countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region making 201 arrests.Included among them was Guedz, the…
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Cyber resilience and female leadership: The new pillars of Middle East banking security
As banks accelerate digital services, open banking strategies and AI adoption, cyber security leaders across the region are calling for stronger resilience, ecosystem collaboration and greater female representation to secure the future of financial services First seen on computerweekly.com Jump to article: www.computerweekly.com/news/366644042/Cyber-resilience-and-female-leadership-The-new-pillars-of-Middle-East-banking-security
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Hackers Exploit SniperDz PhaaS for Brand Spoofing and Browser Hijacking
A wave of phishing campaigns across the Middle East and North Africa exposes a sophisticated, centralized fraud ecosystem operating under the SniperDz banner. What initially appeared as isolated Facebook and Instagram scams fake offers for free mobile data, government subsidies, and compensation are linked to a turnkey Push-Notification-as-a-Service (PNaaS) and Phishing-as-a-Service (PhaaS) affiliate platform that…
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Iran-Linked Hackers Wipe IT and Recovery Systems in Middle East Cyberattack
Iran-linked hackers have launched a destructive cyber campaign that wipes IT, backup, and recovery systems at multiple organizations in the Middle East and beyond, severely undermining victims’ ability to restore operations after an attack. Evidence ties the operation to the long-running Iranian threat group Black Shadow, believed to work on behalf of Iran’s Ministry of…
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Iranian Hackers Deploy MiniFast and MiniJunk V2 via Phishing and SEO Poisoning
The Iranian state-sponsored threat actor known as Nimbus Manticore (aka Screening Serpens and UNC1549) has been attributed to a fresh campaign using lures impersonating organizations in the aviation and software sectors across the U.S., Europe, and the Middle East following the joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign against the country in late February 2026.The activity, besides embracing…
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Middle East malicious infrastructure report highlights concentration of C2 servers
First seen on scworld.com Jump to article: www.scworld.com/brief/middle-east-malicious-infrastructure-report-highlights-concentration-of-c2-servers
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New Linux malware ‘Showboat’ targets Middle East telecom provider
First seen on scworld.com Jump to article: www.scworld.com/brief/new-linux-malware-showboat-targets-middle-east-telecom-provider
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New Telecom Espionage Campaign Tied to China
Researchers Trace Linux and Windows Toolsets to Suspected PRC Espionage Activity. Newly discovered malware tied to China-linked actors breached telecom providers across Asia and the Middle East, highlighting growing efforts to gain persistent access into interconnected communications infrastructure. First seen on govinfosecurity.com Jump to article: www.govinfosecurity.com/new-telecom-espionage-campaign-tied-to-china-a-31763
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Fast and Furious Nimbus Manticore Operations During the Iranian Conflict
ey Findings Introduction During the recent geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, wereportedon multiple Iran-nexus threat actors advancing Iran’s strategic objectives through cyber operations. These activities includedtargeting internet-connected cameras, conductingdestructive attacksagainst US and Israeli entities, andexfiltrating datafrom cloud environments to support broader kinetic and intelligence-gathering efforts. Nimbus Manticore (also tracked asUNC1549) is an IRGC-affiliated threat…
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Hackers Exploit Middle East Telecoms for Massive C2 Operations
Hackers are increasingly abusing Middle East telecommunications networks and hosting providers to operate large-scale command-and-control (C2) infrastructure. The findings highlight a strategic shift away from disposable indicators toward infrastructure-level tracking, allowing defenders to identify persistent patterns behind cyber operations rather than reacting to constantly changing indicators of compromise. The dataset reveals that C2 infrastructure dominates…