The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has warned UK businesses with a presence in the Middle East to increase vigilance against cyber threats from Iran, following US-Israeli attacks. The agency stated there is 'almost certainly' a heightened risk of indirect cyber threats for organisations with offices or supply chains in the region.
Despite extensive bombing that has devastated Iran's political and military leadership, including the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the NCSC said Iran remains a threat. 'Iranian state and Iran-linked cyber actors almost certainly currently maintain at least some capability to conduct cyber activity,' the agency noted in an alert published on Monday.
The NCSC indicated there is 'likely' no significant change in the direct cyber threat from Iran to the UK, but organisations should prepare for collateral damage from Iran-linked hacktivists. It recommended boosting monitoring of IT systems and following NCSC guidelines for heightened cyber-attack threats.
Jonathon Ellison, the NCSC's director for national resilience, urged UK organisations and key infrastructure providers like airports and power stations to 'act now' to protect themselves. He said: 'In light of rapidly evolving events in the Middle East, it is critical that all UK organisations remain alert to the potential risk of cyber compromise, particularly those with assets or supply chains that are in areas of regional tensions.'
Iran was blamed for high-profile cyber-attacks between 2012 and 2014 against US financial institutions, Saudi Aramco, and the Las Vegas Sands casino. Rafe Pilling of Sophos said UK companies could be caught up in forays by state-backed hackers, though the UK is unlikely to be a primary target. Cynthia Kaiser of Halcyon warned that Iran's cyber operations stem from a 'murky blend of state sponsorship, personal profiteering, and outright criminal behaviour'.
