A new internal State Department security report concludes that Iran is quickly building its cyber warfare capabilities and could be planning to attack global critical infrastructures, according to the Washington Free Beacon.
"Iranian hackers have been suspected in multiple incidents that inflicted damage on various entities in the private sector, including finance and energy firms," according to the five-page report, titled, "Pistachios and Saffron: Investigating the Iranian Cyber Threat."
It warns that Iran's hackers have quickly transitioned from small attacks, such as website defacement, to more advanced attacks such as deploying malicious software targeting specific victims.
The report, sent to U.S. businesses last week by the Overseas Security Advisory Council, adds, "Current analysis indicates Iran may intend to use its growing cyber force to attack global critical infrastructure," reports the Beacon.
Critical infrastructure could include computer networks responsible for controlling finance, transportation, water, public health, security, and telecommunications. The most critical infrastructure vulnerable to attack, according to the report, would be electrical grids, "because electricity is common to all networks."
"Assessments continue to place critical infrastructure, supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) and transportation systems at the top of the list for potential targets of Iranian cyber operations," the report, published May 8, says. It adds that the cyber security firm Cylance reported that the Iranian government and its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, "is backing numerous groups and front entities to attack the world's critical infrastructure," according to the Beacon.
Tehran has been accused of carrying out cyberattacks against U.S. government officials involved in nuclear nonproliferation talks, as well as 2012 attacks against American banks and the Marine Corps' Intranet. The country has also been implicated in a 2014 malware attack on the Las Vegas Sands casino network, which happens to be owned by an outspoken critic of Iran, according to Newsmax.
The Hill reported this week that an international deal with Iran to limit its nuclear program in exchange for economic sanction relief could actually "jumpstart the country's cyber warfare efforts."
The situation is described by The Hill as a catch-22: "If the deal falls apart, Tehran is expected to retaliate aggressively against U.S. companies through cyberspace," however, Iran could spare the U.S. if a deal is reached. Although, looser economic sanctions could result in the country gaining "access to better technology and training, speeding the already rapid pace at which the country is becoming a major cyber power."
