The Digital War Goes Hot
With multiple state-back hacking groups and innumerable allies and sympathizers in other countries, the reality of serious cyber-security related fallout from the most recent conflict in Iran is very real. Unlike in the past where threats of cybersecurity where able to be largely contained due to the lack of enemy sophistication, Iran is different – their hacking is state backed and well funded.
Groups like APT33 (Elfin), APT34 (OilRig) and another group called MuddyWater amongst other lesser known individuals and groups collectively represent a real threat. Much of the media focused in this area has been on website defacements and other harmful – yet kinetically benign – activity.
The real threat this time is that organizations like those mentioned above – or other, unknown organizations – are able to cause infrastructure damage – damage to reservoirs, power plants, the electric grid, oil refiners or even disruption of shipping or even satellites. The risk is apolitical, once the internet goes dark in one corner of the world, it has the potential to spread and damage done – is damage done.
The great part is our side hasn’t been resting on it’s laurels and has worked, for years prior to this conflict and has done many things to harden the grid and step up information sharing and basic IT network surveillance. Perhaps the biggest advancements we have seen in recent years have been in AI space, where companies have developed software that is enterprise deployable and uses the power of AI to not only detect problems but to stop them cold in their tracks.
All in all, we’re in for an interesting time. We’re seeing how a war plays out in cyberspace, but we’re also seeing how AI and the most advanced technology in the space responds.