US braces for 'low-level' cyberattacks by Tehran

WASHINGTON: US officials are warning businesses to brace for potential Iranian cyberattacks following American airstrikes on the country's nuclear sites, an event that experts say could draw a relatively small response from hackers.

A bulletin from the Department of Homeland Security warned that Iranian hackers routinely target American technology, and that such activity is poised to occur after the US military operation. The message said that DHS hadn't identified any specific imminent threat.

"Low-level cyberattacks against US networks by pro-Iranian hacktivists are likely, and cyber actors affiliated with the Iranian government may conduct attacks against US networks," according to the bulletin issued Sunday. It also warned of potential retaliatory violence from extremists in the US.

Iranian hackers have been accused in recent years of targeting banks, a Saudi oil company and US elections. The country has repeatedly shown a willingness to use cyberattacks against adversaries with stronger cyber capabilities than itself, including Israel, according to a 2024 threat assessment by US intelligence.

Iran's top military general on Monday said that the American strikes on its nuclear sites had given Iran a free hand for retaliatory measures. Still, while Iranian cyberattacks could disrupt specific targets, John Hultquist, chief analyst at Google's Threat Intelligence Group, warned that the country frequently fabricates or exaggerates its capabilities "in an effort to boost their psychological impact."

"We should be careful not to overestimate these incidents and inadvertently assist the actors," he said.