TechCrunch Industry News FBI says Iranian hackers are using Telegram to steal data in malware attacks; Pentagon’s decision to bar Anthropic ‘retaliation’; and Hachette pulls horror novel ‘Shy Girl’ over AI concerns
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Mar 24, 2026 FBI warns Iran-linked hackers are using Telegram bots and malware to target dissidents, opposition groups, and journalists. The Pentagon labels an AI lab a supply-chain risk, sparking legal fights and political pushback. A major publisher pulls a horror novel amid allegations that AI was used to create the text.
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Telegram Used As Stealthy Command And Control Vector
- Iranian government hackers are using Telegram to hide command-and-control traffic in malware attacks.
- Malware masquerades as apps like Telegram or WhatsApp, then connects infected machines to Telegram bots for remote control and data theft.
FBI Attributes Attacks To Iran's MOIS And Proxy Groups
- The FBI links these Telegram-based intrusions to Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security targeting dissidents and journalists.
- The alert ties pro-Iranian hacktivist groups like Handelah and Homeland Justice to MOIS influence and broader geopolitical aims.
Handelah Claim Followed By Stryker Device Wiping
- Handelah claimed responsibility for a recent Stryker attack that wiped tens of thousands of employee devices.
- The Justice Department later accused Handelah of being a front for Iran's government and linked it to that Stryker breach.