US deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein charges nine Iranian hackers with cyber crimes in March 2018. (Image: file photo)
Iran is likely to respond with cyberattacks against Western businesses in response to the Trump administration's withdrawal from the nuclear deal, cybersecurity experts say.
Research out Wednesday suggests attacks could come "within months, if not faster," according to security firm Recorded Future.
The research paints a detailed picture of how Iran uses contractors and universities to staff its offensive cybersecurity operations -- or hacking efforts -- against foreign targets.
A former insider with knowledge of Iran's hacking operations said the attacks are likely to be launched by contractors and thus pose a greater risk of spinning out of control.
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump announced the US would withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal[1], a pact of Western nations that pledged to lift economic sanctions[2] against Iran in exchange for limiting its nuclear program. The UN's nuclear verification agency said Iran had complied[3] with the agreement.
Although there has been no evidence or intelligence to suggest a cyberattack is in the works, researchers say they predict, based on Iran's past cyber activities[4], that retaliatory cyberattacks are likely.
"We assess that within months, if not sooner, American companies in the financial, critical infrastructure, oil, and energy sectors will likely face aggressive and destructive cyberattacks by Iranian state-sponsored actors," said Priscilla Moriuchi, a former NSA analyst, now at Recorded Future.
"The Islamic Republic may utilize contractors that are less politically and ideologically reliable -- and trusted -- and as a result, could be more difficult to control," she said.
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