Impersonation of journalists to compromise public figures
Date of report
  • January 2020
Affiliations
The Iranian state-backed threat actor Charming Kitten impersonated prominent journalists and sent targets fake interview requests in order to steal their credentials and send them malware.
Suspected victims
  • Academics, researchers, and dissidents in the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Europe, the UK, and possibly elsewhere.
Suspected state sponsor
  • Iran (Islamic Republic of)
Type of incident
  • Espionage
Target category
  • Civil society
  • Government