UK NCSC exposes Iranian spyware 'CHOSEN BRICK' targeting dissidents

Britain's National Cyber Security Centre, with partner agencies, publicly identified an Iranian state-linked spyware family called 'CHOSEN BRICK' used in spear-phishing campaigns against dissidents and journalists via WhatsApp and Telegram. NCSC Director of Operations Paul Chichester said the malware steals emails, messages, contact lists and social media data and can access a device's microphone and screen content.

Why this matters. The disclosure gives targeted individuals and organizations concrete indicators to block a known Iranian surveillance tool and signals Western governments are escalating public attribution of Iranian cyber operations amid the wider Iran-Israel-US conflict.