Increased military action between Iran and Israel could have worrying implications for the cybersecurity of American businesses, as two major expert groups have issued a stark warning against digital attacks.
Cyberattacks and hacking attempts aren't just carried about by rogue bad actors in dimly lit rooms, but instead numerous digital attacks are conducted nation states against its rivals.
Scientists have predicted that the AI race across the next two years will involve numerous cyberattacks between China and the United States as both try and reach a solution before the other, and a potentially unexpected consequence of the emerging war between Iran and Israel could also prove to be a major catalyst.
As reported by the New York Post, there has been a joint statement from the Food and Agriculture Information Sharing and Analysis Center (Food and Ag-ISAC) and the Information Technology - Information Sharing and Analysis Center (IT-ISAC) outlining the dangers of potential upcoming cyberattacks on American companies.
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The statement encourages "companies to prepare for the likelihood of increased cyber attacks from Iran targeting U.S. companies," warning them of the dangers that they could face in the coming months.
"Historically, Iranian state-sponsored actors, pro-Iran hacktivist groups, and financially motivated cybercriminals have launched attacks against U.S. organizations during periods of heightened conflict," the statement reads.
"In light of this, the Food and Ag-ISAC and IT-ISAC recommend companies take immediate steps to proactively assess their cyber preparedness, enhance their defenses, and prepare for a range of cyber activity, some of which could be potentially disruptive."
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Within the statement a number of preventative measures have been advised, including becoming familiar with Iranian-affiliated threat actors, assessing your company's own cybsecurity strength (and increasing it if necessary), and begin monitoring for suspicious activity.
Additionally, it remains vitally important that all employees are aware of the risks that are likely going to become apparent soon, as something as simple as an email or hyperlink could be the key that unlocks an entire company if orchestrated by the wrong people.
Even if the United States isn't directly targeted, a byproduct of the digital world is its interconnectedness, and this could leave American companies in the cyber-crossfire as an unintended target.
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"Given the interconnectedness of networks, it is possible that cyber attacks targeting Israel itself could cause collateral damage to U.S. companies, even if the U.S. companies themselves are not the intended target," outlines the statement.
Both the Food and Ag-ISAC and IT-ISAC are going to continue to monitor the overall security of cyber networks in the United States, and will share any information and tactics that they believe will prove helpful to ensure the safety of businesses on American soil.