The federal government has expressed concerns about potential retribution from Iran or its proxies. The Department of Homeland Security has issued a bulletin warning of a “heightened threat environment in the United States.”
Jordan Rae Kelly, head of cybersecurity for the Americas at FTI Consulting, explained the situation.
“DHS has raised the threat environment due, in large measure, to this heightened conflict, and this particular bulletin that you mentioned warns about low level cyber attacks by pro-Iranian hacktivists and talks about the potential impacts on U.S. networks,” said Kelly.
Kelly elaborated on the focus of these threats.
“These threats that are described in the bulletin are mostly going to be directed at government facilities, energy facilities, telecom facilities, and so that vigilance means that you should stay alert, but not alarmed. We may see website outages, we might see an increase in phishing scams, but it doesn’t mean that there’s a personal cybersecurity emergency,” said Kelly.
Citizens are advised to take simple cybersecurity precautions such as changing passwords, using two-factor authentication, and avoiding clicking on suspicious links.
The FBI and other federal agencies are actively monitoring for threats. State and local police have increased their presence at religious facilities and government offices.
