Microsoft Takes on Another Hacking Group, This One With Links to Iran

Microsoft Corp. said that it has taken control of 99 web sites used by a malicious group connected to Iranian hackers who attacked targets including government agencies and businesses in order to steal confidential information.

The group, which Microsoft refers to as Phosphorus, but is also known as APT 35, Charming Kitten, and Ajax Security Team, used spear-phishing attacks launched from web sites made to look like they belong to companies like Microsoft and Yahoo, according to the post. The attacks convince users to click on a link containing malicious software or make the user believe their accounts have ...