https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/05/20/how-iranian-hackers-tried-phish-me/
By Holly Dagres
May 20, 2020
Holly Dagres is a fellow in the Atlantic Council’s Middle East Programs and the
editor of its IranSource and MENASource blogs.
The email from a prominent Israeli think tank offered some provocative
suggestions on U.S. policy towards China. "We must understand that China is at
war with the United States,” it declared, citing the covid-19 pandemic as
evidence. Its authors recommended that the Trump administration set up a team
of “top China experts” such as Stephen K. Bannon and former House speaker Newt
Gingrich to confront “Red China” in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.
But the five-page analysis that landed in my inbox wasn’t really from an
Israeli think tank. It had been sent by Iranian hackers, part of a complex
phishing attack targeting my work email account.
It was just the latest in a series of cyberattacks apparently staged by the
same group — and it should set off alarm bells among U.S. organizations and
individuals. It is critical that we understand the cyberthreat and take the
necessary precautions.
Given my professional focus on Iran issues at the Atlantic Council, I am a
prime target for cyberattacks. My email potentially offers hackers access not
only to sensitive information and conversations, but also to contacts to
high-profile individuals with whom my organization regularly works.
[...]
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