MERCURY

Mercury, also known as MuddyWater and Static Kitten, is a threat actor group linked to global espionage activities, with suspected ties to the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security. This group has been noted for its malicious activities, compromising multiple victims that another group, POLONIUM, previously targeted. The cybersecurity community has recognized the significant security challenges posed by Mercury, highlighting its activities in relation to hybrid IT infrastructures. Recently, Mercury Financial, a high-interest, low credit score non-bank credit card company that uses Evolve to issue cards, reported a data breach. The compromised data included account numbers, deposit balances, business owner names, and emails associated with Mercury and other fintech accounts. The company has notified its affected customers about the breach and the preventative measures being taken to secure their funds. Alex Arango, Head of Cyber Threat Management at Mercury Financial, has been actively working on strengthening the company's defenses using threat intelligence from Recorded Future. In an unrelated event, defensive sectors including consumer staples and utilities showed resilience on the local bourse, with Mercury NZ among the largest large-cap advancers. However, it should be clarified that this Mercury refers to a different entity than the threat actor or Mercury Financial. Similarly, references to "Mercury" in other contexts such as Virginia Mercury, a news outlet, and Mercury in the context of the Regents' meeting, do not pertain to the threat actor group.