German Politicians Targeted with Spyware over the Summer

Several members of the German political scene were the targets of two waves of spear-phishing campaigns that took place over the summer, multiple German media outlets report.

According to Süddeutsche Zeitung, the German newspaper that broke the Panama Papers story, local political figures received spear-phishing emails from a man named Heinrich Krammer, claiming to be a NATO employee, and who used a @hq.nato.int email address. The emails were sent on August 15 and then on the second wave on August 24.

The emails offered recipients information about the Turkey failed coup, and about the earthquakes that hit Italy's Amatrice region. Inside the emails, links lured politicians to a malicious website that attempted ...