Overview

• Predatory Sparrow, known by its Persian name Gonjeshke Darande, claimed responsibility for the attack and said it targeted Bank Sepah for financing Iran’s military and nuclear programs.
• The breach knocked ATMs and online services out of service across all 1,800 branches, leaving customers in Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz, Yazd and Tabriz unable to access accounts.
• Bank Sepah was the first Iranian bank sanctioned by the United States and the United Kingdom over its alleged support for ballistic missile development and proxy operations.
• The IRGC’s Cyber Security Command banned officials from using devices on public networks and Fars news agency reported that systems should be restored within a few hours.
• Cybersecurity experts note Predatory Sparrow’s past destructive operations against Iranian steel plants and gas stations and link the latest hack to rising Israel–Iran cyber hostilities.