When geopolitical tensions rise, it’s a good time to revisit your detection queries for abnormal authentication, unusual network scanning, and newly created administrative accounts. These early signals often appear before larger attacks unfold. Since U.S. authorities are warning of potential retaliatory cyber activity as a result from the Iranian conflict, here are some things to check:
Common TTPs observed in past Iranian campaigns
MITRE ATT&CK references:
- T1078 – Valid Accounts
- T1566 – Phishing
- T1046 – Network Service Scanning
- T1190 – Exploit Public-Facing Application
- T1021 – Remote Services
Early Indicators
Look for:
- Mass password spraying against O365 / Azure AD
- Increased scanning against VPN portals
- Webshell uploads on public-facing servers
- PowerShell spawning from IIS worker processes
Example Detection
-  Process: w3wp.exe spawning powershell.exe Â
📌 This Week’s Outlook in a Shareable Statement:
Supply-chain exposure, critical firewall vulnerabilities, and rising geopolitical tensions are increasing cyber risk for U.S. organizations. Teams that strengthen monitoring, patch quickly, and track emerging indicators of compromise will be best positioned to detect activity early.
Thanks for taking a few minutes to stay informed this week! Staying curious, sharing what we learn, and helping each other improve is still one of the best defenses we have.
Have a great week and contact Pinpoint Security today to help with your Security program!
-Alan Kelly, Analyst
