'Reasons to be wary': Weighing cyber risks amid U.S.-Iran tensions

Following the killing of Iran’s top military commander General Qasem Soleimani in a U.S. drone attack, Iranian hackers have issued numerous threats of retaliation. (Photo: Shutterstock)

After weeks of unrest, tensions between the U.S. and Iran appear to be waning — just slightly. When the conflict seemed to reach the brink of open military warfare earlier this month, President Trump declared that “Iran appears to be standing down.” On the contrary, a Western diplomat told Bloomberg that Iran is not backing down, stating the Islamic Republic still wants the U.S. to pay for killing its top military commander and for strict sanctions imposed since 2018.

It’s not clear when the political disorder between these nations will fully dissipate. After all, the U.S. and Iran have been engaged in an ongoing “shadow war,” resulting in years of back-and-forth cyber retaliation. And in light of recent events, the U.S. government is on its toes anticipating the next Iranian cyberattack, and businesses and individuals should be too.