Microsoft reported that it repelled a series of attacks by Iranian hackers against possible participants of the future Munich Security Conference and Conference of Scientific Research Centers (Think-20, T20), which is held as part of the G20 (Group of Twenty) interaction with non-governmental organizations.
This is stated in a message posted on Microsoft's website on Wednesday.
The corporation notes that it does not consider these attacks in cyberspace to be in any way connected with the elections in the USA on November 3. Microsoft assures that it has notified real conference organizers about its operation.
"We are announcing today that we have discovered and stopped a series of cyberattacks by the threat player Phosphorous, which masquerades as conference organizers and targeted more than 100 prominent individuals. Phosphorous — an Iranian player — has chosen its machinations against potential participants of the future Munich Security Conference and Think-20 in Saudi Arabia," the American corporation claims. She calls the T20 an important event that helps generate discussion topics for the G20 member countries.
According to the report, Phosphorous sent false invitations to the above-mentioned forums by e-mail to the addresses of "former officials, experts, scientists and heads of non-governmental organizations." Their names are not disclosed. The hackers tried to convince these people to ignore the security measures taken due to the new coronavirus pandemic. According to Microsoft, the purpose of the attacks could be the collection of intelligence information.
