U.S. critical infrastructure entities, particularly defense contractors, must “remain vigilant” about Iranian cyberattacks amid ongoing unrest in the Middle East, federal agencies warned on Monday.
“At this time, we have not seen indications of a coordinated campaign of malicious cyber activity in the U.S. that can be attributed to Iran,” an advisory from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), FBI, National Security Agency and the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center said.
However, given the “current geopolitical environment, Iranian-affiliated cyber actors may target U.S. devices and networks for near-term cyber operations,” the organizations noted. Defense firms, “particularly those possessing holdings or relationships with Israeli research and defense firms, are at increased risk.”
U.S. officials have been on high alert about digital retaliation from Iran after the American military carried out a bombing run on the country’s nuclear facilities.
Iran and Israel have long been enemies in cyberspace, targeting each other’s public and private sector networks, and there is concern that the latest conflict between the two will trigger attacks on U.S. critical infrastructure sectors, like water and aviation.
The Trump administration briefed House and Senate lawmakers last week on the newest intelligence related to Iran, as Tehran’s tenuous ceasefire with Israel continues to hold. Potential cyber threats were not mentioned during the closed-door session, according to a congressional source.
Last week, Brett Leatherman, the FBI’s top cyber official, told Recorded Future News that while critical infrastructure entities and the American public remain on edge about retaliatory digital strikes by Iran, the U.S. should not lose focus on the online dangers posed by China.
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