FBI issues phish warning to feds

Federal law enforcement has warned government network operators that agency employees have been targeted for years by cybercriminals leveraging social media platforms.

FBI flash notifications posted June 23 on the Public Intelligence open-source website said investigators had identified dozens of unique Facebook personas, domains and IP addresses used to launch spear phishing attacks on civilian, military and cleared defense contractor personnel, as well as private industry networks. The spear phishing activity associated with the sites and identities dates back to 2011, the agency said.

The FBI warnings, issued May 29, said investigations have uncovered 56 unique Facebook personas, 16 domains and a group of IP addresses associated with "malicious cyber actors." The personas' owners, said the agency, typically attempt to befriend federal, state and local government network users, as well as employees on private industry networks. They then send a malicious link through an associated domain to their targeted victim via email or chat. The link, the FBI said, would subsequently compromise the victim's computer. While the warnings refer specifically to Facebook, the FBI said it believes the personas maintain equally malicious presence on other social networking sites, including LinkedIn, Google+ and Twitter. The group, it said, has also created look-alike Web sites to fool victims.

The FBI said family and friends of federal workers have also been targeted.