BOSTON: Iran’s retaliation for the United States’ targeted killing of its top general Qasem Soleimani is likely to include cyberattacks, security experts warned.
Iran’s state-backed hackers are already among the world’s most aggressive and could inject malware that triggers major disruptions to the U.S. public and private sector.
Potential targets include manufacturing facilities, oil and gas plants and transit systems. A top U.S. cybersecurity official is warning businesses and government agencies to be extra vigilant.
In 2012 and 2013, in response to U.S. sanctions, Iranian state-backed hackers carried out a series of disruptive denial-of-service attacks that knocked offline the websites of major U.S. banks including Bank of America as well as the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ.
Two years later, they wiped servers at the Sands Casino in Las Vegas, crippling hotel and gambling operations.
(Agencies)
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