# LYCEUM: threat group profile

> LYCEUM is an espionage 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. It lists the other names the group goes by and links to every public report behind it.

Canonical page: https://www.precursorintelligence.com/threat-actors/lyceum
Breadcrumb: [Home](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/) > [Threat groups](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/threat-actors) > LYCEUM

## At a glance

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Attack techniques | 0 |
| Countries and victims named | 2 |
| Thought to operate from | Iran |
| Suspected backing | Iran |
| Motive | Espionage |
| Other names | 8 |
| Public reports | 6 |

## Who is LYCEUM?

LYCEUM is an espionage group thought to operate from Iran, with suspected state backing. Public reporting about it is still limited.

### Also known as

COBALT LYCEUM, HEXANE, UNC1530, Spirlin, MYSTICDOME, siamesekitten, Chrono Kitten, Storm-0133

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

### What public reporting says

> Lyceum is an Iranian APT group that has been active since at least 2014. They primarily target Middle Eastern governments and organizations in the energy and telecommunications sectors. Lyceum is known for using cyber espionage techniques and has been linked to other Iranian threat groups such as APT34. They have developed and deployed malware families like Shark and Milan, and have been observed using DNS tunneling and HTTPfor command and control communication.

## Who does LYCEUM go after?

**Sectors:** Government, Energy, High-Tech, Telecomms, Education, Military, Defense

**Countries and victims named:** Israel, Middle East

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

## Public reports about LYCEUM

- https://www.secureworks.com/blog/lyceum-takes-center-stage-in-middle-east-campaign
- https://www.secureworks.com/research/threat-profiles/cobalt-lyceum
- https://www.prevailion.com/latest-targets-of-cyber-group-lyceum/
- https://www.clearskysec.com/siamesekitten/
- https://vblocalhost.com/uploads/VB2021-Kayal-etal.pdf
- https://services.google.com/fh/files/misc/tool-of-first-resort-israel-hamas-war-cyber.pdf

## Frequently asked questions

### Who is LYCEUM?

LYCEUM is an espionage group thought to operate from Iran, with suspected state backing. Public reporting about it is still limited.

### Where is LYCEUM thought to be based?

Public reporting places LYCEUM 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 LYCEUM target?

In public reporting, sectors named include government, energy, high-tech, telecomms and education, and 2 countries and victims are named, including Israel and Middle East.

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

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