The Kitten that Charmed Me - The 9 Lives of a Nation State Attacker

Explore a 34-minute Black Hat conference talk that delves into the operational security errors of a prolific state-sponsored threat group known as ITG18 or "Charming Kitten." Discover how simple but persistent mistakes made by this Iranian-based adversary revealed intimate details of their entire operation. Learn about the group's targeting of pivotal individuals, including US politicians, nuclear scientists, journalists, and COVID vaccine developers. Gain insights into how the investigators flipped the script on human error analysis, focusing on the attackers rather than the victims. Uncover the methods used to track and analyze the group's activities, including their access to victims' private chats, emails, and photos. Presented by Allison Wikoff and Richard Emerson, this talk offers a unique perspective on cybersecurity intelligence and the vulnerabilities of even sophisticated threat actors.