Microsoft has revealed the perpetrators of the hacking and theft of Charlie Hebdo magazine subscribers' personal data.
According to Microsoft's security research team, hackers backed by the Iranian government were the perpetrators of the Charlie Hebdo hack. During the hack, 200,000 Charlie Hebdo subscribers leaked their personal data in an online forum.
The leaked data contained names and contact details. But in the post, the hacker said he would sell more complete information at a price of 20 bitcoins.
The leaked sample data was then verified for authenticity by the French daily, Le Monde.
"This information, stolen by perpetrators from Iran, could be dangerous to subscribers of the magazine because it could be targeted either online or physically by extremist organizations," wrote a Microsoft security researcher.
The French satirical magazine was hacked in early January after publishing cartoons negatively depicting Iranian leader Ayatollah Khamenei.
The caricatures are part of a Charlie Hebdo program aimed at supporting anti-government protests in Iran.
Neither the Government of Iran nor the Government of France commented on this matter. Meanwhile Charlie Hebdo would not comment on the matter.
When the cartoon was first published, the Government of Iran promised an effective response to the cartoon which was considered highly insulting. They even summoned representatives of the French Government in Tehran and stopped all activities at the French Institute of Research in Iran, as well as re-evaluating all French cultural activities in Iran.
The hacking and leaking of personal data from Charlie Hebdo customers, according to Microsoft, is part of a larger operation. This operation used hacking techniques identical to previous hacking actions by Iranian hackers.
This hacker is also said to have attacked the US Ministry of Defense to interfere with the 2020 presidential election.