In a statement on the recent reports of Iranian cyberattacks directed at the U.S. government, the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Director Christopher Krebs warned of “wiper” attacks that could compromise entire systems.
“Iranian regime actors and proxies are increasingly using destructive ‘wiper’ attacks, looking to do much more than just steal data and money,” the statement reads. “These efforts are often enabled through common tactics like spear phishing, password spraying, and credential stuffing. What might start as an account compromise, where you think you might just lose data, can quickly become a situation where you’ve lost your whole network.”
The Iranian threats come amid increased tensions in the Persian Gulf. Recent reports indicate a cyberattack from U.S. Cyber Command against Iranian targets.
CISA vows to continue working with the entire intelligence community and other cybersecurity partners to continue monitoring cybersecurity partners to monitor Iranian cyber activity and share information. In the statement, Director Krebs recommends using multi-factor authentication and act quickly if you suspect a suspicious incident.
