The war between Iran and Israel has already engulfed city skylines and military compounds. Now, it’s spreading deeper into the shadows — into cyberspace, where both sides are waging a parallel battle that could soon hit American shores, Politico reported.
Following the US military’s overnight bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities, cyber experts and security agencies are warning that retaliation may come in the form of digital warfare. Iran is expected to strike back not only with missiles, but with malware — targeting everything from electric grids and water systems to financial networks and civilian devices in the US
US braces for Iranian cyber retaliation
“Cyber is one of the tools of Iran’s asymmetric warfare,” said Alex Vatanka, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute. After the airstrikes, the US Department of Homeland Security issued a National Terrorism Advisory warning that Iranian government-linked hackers or so-called hacktivist groups may go after “poorly secured US networks and Internet-connected devices.”
While no major cyberattacks have yet been confirmed on US soil, Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Dan Caine said on Sunday that US Cyber Command had been involved in supporting the strikes — a statement that signals the digital component of this war is just getting started.
Critical infrastructure operators across sectors were warned late last week to boost digital defences. Former Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Director Jen Easterly urged companies to keep their “shields up” and be ready for cyber threats aimed at civilian targets.
Iran's history of striking civilian systems
Iran has a record of launching cyberattacks against infrastructure during moments of geopolitical tension. In the past, its hackers have hit US banks, water utilities, and even energy pipelines. Just last year, Iran was linked to an attempt to infiltrate Israel’s water supply control systems.
“While it’s unclear whether its cyber capabilities were impacted by Israeli strikes, Iran has a track record of targeting civilian infrastructure,” Easterly wrote in a Sunday post.
In anticipation of retaliation, top Iranian officials were reportedly told to cease using internet-connected devices. Iranian state TV was hacked last week, and Israel-based hackers reportedly forced the regime to partially shut down the country’s internet — a blackout still in place as of Sunday.
Israel's cyber superiority on display
Israel has long been regarded as a digital powerhouse, and its advantage was clear in recent attacks. Predatory Sparrow, a pro-Israeli group, claimed to have shut down accounts at Iran’s Bank Sepah and drained about $90 million from Nobitex, the country’s largest cryptocurrency exchange. Other hacks targeted state broadcasters, disrupting official messaging during wartime.
Disinformation also surged. Israeli authorities reported text campaigns urging civilians to ignore shelter warnings, fake alerts about gas shortages, and attempts to hijack internet-connected cameras for espionage.
Despite Iran’s efforts, many experts say it lags behind Israel and the US in sophistication. “The Iranians are good, they are emerging, but they’re not at the level of the Israelis or Americans,” Vatanka said.
The danger to US networks
Still, US intelligence officials remain concerned about what may come next. Iranian-linked cyber forces often operate indirectly through disinformation or espionage, and their attacks are designed to sow fear and confusion rather than immediate physical damage.
“I’m most concerned about cyber espionage against our leaders and surveillance through travel, hospitality, and telecom sectors,” said John Hultquist, chief analyst at Google’s Threat Intelligence Group.
As military operations intensify in the Middle East, the digital fallout may soon reach beyond Iran and Israel. American citizens and companies are now at the edge of a cyber battlefield — where the next salvo may not be launched from a missile silo, but from a keyboard.
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