Behrooz Kamalian (Persian: بهروز کمالیان), also known as "Behrooz_Ice" is the founder and CEO of Ashiyane. On the 10 October, 2011, Kamalian was sanctioned by the European Union for his involvement in assisting the Iranian regime in suppressing protesters during the 2009 Iranian presidential election protests.[1][2][3] [15]
Behrooz Kamalian | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1983 Tehran, Iran |
Professional life
editAshiyane
editBehrouz Kamalian founded Ashianeh cyber security group (in Persian: Ashianeh means nest) with the help of Nima Salehi aka Q7x and some of his friends in 2001 and became its CEO. Ashianeh is the oldest cyber group in Iran, which was initially started with the aim of training users. But gradually its activities became politicized to the extent that its members are said to be active members of Iran's cyber army. According to Kamalian, Ashianeh has also provided services to Iran's military and government organizations. [4] 9 10 11 1213
It appears that Behrooz Kamalian has deep relations with the Iranian government. The research group Insikt Group states, "Ashiyane was one of the only hacking forums that remained," and according to an Insikt Group source, the Iranian hacking community speculated that Kamalian had made a deal with the Iranian government to provide exclusive services in the cybersecurity field to the government.[5]
On August 5, 2018, Ashiyane suddenly disappeared without any explanation. Some have speculated that Behrooz Kamalian was arrested and imprisoned, but if this is true, he was released in mid-November, as a video posted on Instagram on November 8 shows an Iranian actor thanking Kamalian for restoring access to his Instagram account. It appears that Kamalian is currently attempting to rebuild his reputation, now as a white-hat hacker who helps celebrities.[6][7]
Other activities
editAfter the closure of Ashiyane and Kamalian's efforts to rebrand his activities, Levi Gundert of the Insikt Group told SecurityWeek that Kamalian may still be involved in more malicious activities under a different name, and in that case, Western intelligence agencies will eventually identify him. Gundert was previously a special agent for the Secret Service and FBI and is currently the vice president of Intelligence and Risk at Recorded Future.[8]
Currently, Kamalian manages the Behteam agency.
Human rights violations and sanctions by the European Union
editOn October 10, 2011, the European Union placed Behrooz Kamalian on the list of human rights sanctions due to the role that some Iranian officials, including Kamalian, played in the widespread and severe violation of the rights of Iranian citizens. According to these sanctions, Kamalian is banned from entering EU member states, and all his assets in Europe will be seized. According to the EU statement, Behrooz Kamalian was responsible for extensive cyberattacks on domestic and foreign opponents and hacking news websites.[9]
References
edit- ^ "Iranian hacker uploads dead baby image onto Bournemouth University". The Independent. 2014-03-18. Retrieved 2023-06-12.
- ^ Fazzini, Kate (2019-01-16). "New research shows how Iranian hackers have collaborated to become one of the world's most fearsome hacking forces". CNBC. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
- ^ "Report: Iranian APT Actors Regroup After Main Security Forum Shuts Down". The Security Ledger with Paul F. Roberts. 2019-01-16. Retrieved 2023-06-12.
- ^ http://yazdfarda.com/news/1393/02/56463.html
- ^ "گروه امنیتی آشیانه یا ارتش سایبری ایران؟ – DW – ۱۳۸۹/۶/۲۶". dw.com (in Persian). Retrieved 2023-06-12.
- ^ "How Iran's military outsources its cyberthreat forces". Route Fifty. 2020-01-23. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
- ^ Townsend, Kevin (2019-01-16). "The Rise and Fall of Ashiyane - Iran's Foremost Hacker Forum". SecurityWeek. Retrieved 2023-06-12.
- ^ "The History of Ashiyane: Iran's First Security Forum | Recorded Future". www.recordedfuture.com. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
- ^ "Human rights violator: Behrouz Kamalian". 2011-11-12. Archived from the original on 2023-02-08.
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