# Cotton Sandstorm: threat group profile

> Cotton Sandstorm is an information operations group thought to operate from Iran, with suspected state backing. Public reporting about it is still limited. This free profile brings together what is known about it, so you can judge the risk to you.

Canonical page: https://www.precursorintelligence.com/threat-actors/cotton-sandstorm
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## At a glance

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Attack techniques | 0 |
| Countries and victims named | 4 |
| Thought to operate from | Iran |
| Suspected backing | Iran |
| Motive | Information Operations |
| Other names | 4 |
| Public reports | 5 |

## Who is Cotton Sandstorm?

Cotton Sandstorm is an information operations group thought to operate from Iran, with suspected state backing. Public reporting about it is still limited.

### Also known as

Emennet Pasargad, Holy Souls, MARNANBRIDGE, NEPTUNIUM

Security companies each give the same group their own name, so one group can have many.

### What public reporting says

> Cotton Sandstorm is an Iranian threat actor involved in hack-and-leak operations. They have targeted various organizations, including the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, where they obtained and leaked personal information of over 200,000 customers. The group has been linked to the Iranian government and has been sanctioned by the US Treasury

## Who does Cotton Sandstorm go after?

**Sectors:** Government, Finance, High-Tech, Telecoms, NGOs, Civil Society, Rail, Energy

**Countries and victims named:** United States, Israel, Middle East, Europe

See threats by industry: https://www.precursorintelligence.com/industries

## Public reports about Cotton Sandstorm

- https://blog.sekoia.io/iran-cyber-threat-overview/
- https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2023/02/03/dtac-charlie-hebdo-hack-iran-neptunium/
- https://www.ic3.gov/Media/News/2022/220126.pdf
- https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/business/security-insider/threat-briefs/iran-response-for-charlie-hebdo-attacks/
- https://services.google.com/fh/files/misc/tool-of-first-resort-israel-hamas-war-cyber.pdf

## Frequently asked questions

### Who is Cotton Sandstorm?

Cotton Sandstorm is an information operations group thought to operate from Iran, with suspected state backing. Public reporting about it is still limited.

### Where is Cotton Sandstorm thought to be based?

Public reporting places Cotton Sandstorm as operating from Iran, with suspected state backing. Attribution is never certain: it rests on the tools, infrastructure and targets researchers have seen.

### Who does Cotton Sandstorm target?

In public reporting, sectors named include government, finance, high-tech, telecoms and ngos, and 4 countries and victims are named, including United States, Israel, Middle East and Europe.

### How do I know if Cotton Sandstorm is a risk to my business?

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