Iran Conflict Could Shift to Cyberspace, Experts Warn

Hackers linked to Iran are probing American companies for vulnerabilities, cybersecurity researchers and U.S. government officials say.

The warnings suggest that the next phase of hostilities between the U.S. and Iran, following the Jan. 3 killing of a top Iranian general in an American drone strike, is likely to play out in cyberspace.

The Iranian regime is accused of being behind some high-profile online operations against American targets in recent years.

“Right now what we’re seeing instead is a huge increase in reconnaissance activity,” Jordan Mauriello, SVP of Managed Security at CRITICALSTART, said in an interview with NPR. “Specifically looking for potentially vulnerable servers, data gathering. …They’re kind of preparing the battle plan in the cyberspace.”

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Featured in NPR | January 21, 2020