The UK government has urged businesses to enhance their cybersecurity measures amid warnings from experts about a rise in Iran-related cyberattacks, following increased tensions in the Middle East.
Cybersecurity analysts informed Sky News of a surge in online actions targeting UK organizations, along with those in the US and Israel, by groups aligned with Tehran.
EclecticIQ, a cybersecurity firm, reported a “significant uptick” in cyberattacks since the Israel-Iran conflict began approximately two weeks ago.
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The firm highlighted signs of “increasing cooperation between pro-Iranian and pro-Russian hacktivist groups.”
During a NATO summit today, Prime Minister Sir Keir stated that nations like Iran and Russia are conducting cyberattacks “regularly,” emphasizing the UK’s need to “be prepared for them.”
The Prime Minister remarked that such cyberattacks should be viewed as “attacks on our country.”
In light of the rise in attacks, a government spokesperson told Sky News: “UK businesses are facing an escalating array of threats from domestic and foreign cyber criminals who aim to disrupt not only their operations but also our broader digital economy.”
“While some companies are already taking proactive measures to protect themselves, it is crucial that all businesses—regardless of size or industry—immediately review and bolster their defenses.”
Recent attacks included distributed denial of service (DDoS) incidents targeting British firms, particularly in the defense sector.
This tactic involves overwhelming a company’s computer networks with an influx of traffic, aiming to render them inoperative.
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The PM cautioned against attacks from Russia and Iran. Pic: PA
Alongside DDoS attacks, data-deleting malware has also been utilized, with an increase in disinformation campaigns and “influence operations.”
Identifying the perpetrators of these attacks, as well as their locations, poses challenges. Nevertheless, analyzing techniques and technical indicators can often reveal their origins.
One DDoS attack targeted outsourcing giant Serco, but the company reported that its “robust security operations infrastructure thwarted the attack.”
EclecticIQ observed that the breadth of the attacks has gone beyond Israeli entities, affecting organizations in the US, UK, and EU as well.
Cody Farrow, CEO of EclecticIQ, cautioned that businesses should not “assume they are out of scope.”
Prior to his role in the private sector, Mr. Barrow was a senior intelligence officer at the Pentagon, as well as with the NSA and US Cyber Command.
He commented to Sky News: “UK companies may be targeted not for their actions, but for what they symbolize—making resilience and remediation plans essential.”
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Mr. Farrow indicated that Iran might retaliate to Israeli actions in “unexpected ways,” having a known history of responding through cyber operations.
“Retaliation may not be immediate or proportionate and could target companies with links to Israel or entities perceived as supporting Israeli or Western initiatives or even symbolic infrastructures,” he explained.