back to article Ex-IDF cyber chief on Iran, Scattered Spider, and why social engineering worries him more than 0-days

Scattered Spider and Iranian government-backed cyber units have more in common than a recent uptick in hacking activity, according to Ariel Parnes, a former colonel in the Israeli Defense Forces' cyber unit 8200. Both the financially motivated crew and Tehran's APT groups excel at social engineering attacks, and are proof …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Just the other day there was a story from the US about a civilian employee with security clearance blabbing secrets to his 'girlfriend', and the UK is now fully aware of the impact of classified data about individuals ending up on the web.

    Publishing this story at this time feels a bit 'yeah, we know'

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      I worked for months as a civilian contractor for, let's say "an interesting setup".

      You wouldn't believe how much I heard being discussed over breakfast at the hotel nearby.

      There are a couple of basics you need to keep in mind when working in a sensitive environment, and keeping your trap absolutely shut outside the door is rule one.

  2. amanfromMars 1 Silver badge

    Something definitely to be really worried about, Mein Herr Parnes .....

    "Scattered Spider harvests identities, and they sell them to whoever wants to buy them, so Iran threat actors could use them in their campaigns," Parnes said. "It all ends up in Iranians being able to do much more with their rather rudimentary capabilities."

    Neither Iran nor Scattered Spider "have the most advanced cyber weapons," he added. "But maybe they don't need it.”

    Indeed, maybe no one needs them, but they sure do give one an almighty overwhelming advantage if one knows how to use them and how to deny both enemy and frenemy alike the vital knowledge they seek in order to ensure one retains and maintains and extends such a Unusual Singularity securing .......... well, such is akin to being able to exercise and experience AWEsome Unlimited Powers methinks, and thus is it bound and cursed to be a rare and raw treasure to be much sought after ..... and fought over too by those with no hope and no chance of ever being able or enabled to wield and enjoy its rewarding pleasures and exhilarating pressures.

    That it is worthy of only a Heavenly Diabolical Few will not prevent the mounting evidence of indefensible weaknesses for general and generous exploitation remotely rendering increasingly catastrophic losses being suffered by those chasing the Virtual Dragon being clearly presented for ..... well, ideally, Universal Profit.

    Que Sera, Sera, Monsieur. :-) ......https://youtu.be/DgjOedirhcQ?si=evsdKVyhoCGrtvU8

    1. logicalextreme

      Re: Something definitely to be really worried about, Mein Herr Parnes .....

      Aha, got to "Unusual Singularity" before realising it was you. Glad to see you're still around, amanFromMars1.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Something definitely to be really worried about, Mein Herr Parnes .....

      @whoever runs Aman From Mars.

      You need to review the output a bit more carefully because addressing an Israeli using a German form of address in an otherwise English post is looking a bit suspect.

      1. Furious Reg reader John

        Re: Something definitely to be really worried about, Mein Herr Parnes .....

        Just the standard level of drivel with a sprinkling of antisemitism from the man from mars.

        1. amanfromMars 1 Silver badge

          Something definitely to be really worried about, Mein Herr Parnes ..... Semitic Drivel ‽

          If you don't want Jews to have equal rights to others, you are an antisemite.

          Simples ..... Furious Reg reader John ... Saturday 18th January 2025 18:58 GMT

          If you want others to have equal rights to Jews are you then semitic and/or is such simply delusional, Furious Reg reader John?

          And do you think Generative AI in any of its emerging phorms gives a fiddlers about what anyone/anything might be thinking to do if not leading with a plan able to effectively deliver a campaign of successful universal mutually advantageous action ....... for such is gonna go nowhere good real fast and furiously and just prove humanity incapable of supplying Almighty Input for Remote Processing with Programs Providing Heavenly Output.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Something definitely to be really worried about, Mein Herr Parnes .....

        Why is that? Germany is Israel's strongest and least critical ally and weapons supplier.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    What does this tell you about how well locked down to not do evil, current AI services are?

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