Security News > 2020 > January > Congress Hears Warnings of Iranian Cyberthreats

Iranian-led disinformation campaigns and other cyberthreats against the U.S. are likely to surge in the aftermath of Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani's death, security and political experts told the House Homeland Security Committee Wednesday.

Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, noted during his opening remarks that this geopolitical tension could have "Dire consequences" for U.S. homeland security and asked the experts testifying to help lawmakers better understand the potential cyberthreats from Iran and its proxies.

The panel of experts noted that while Iran-led cyber intrusions against the U.S. are likely to surge, disinformation campaigns are currently the biggest threat against the U.S. In the past, social media firms, including Facebook, Google and Twitter, have removed a number of fake accounts with ties to the Iranian government in an attempt to combat online misinformation as well as phishing attacks targeting certain groups, according to media reports.

Noting that U.S. civilians who are likely to be victims of Iranian cyberattacks, Warrick requested the Congress devise an effective notification mechanism to alert the public about potential cyberthreats.

"We need a national-level strategy on protection of U.S. companies from foreign cyberthreats touching on everything from information sharing to insurance."

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https://www.inforisktoday.com/congress-hears-warnings-iranian-cyberthreats-a-13613