Tech Talk: Experts warn of cyber warfare as Israel and Iran exchange digital blows

As the conflict between Israel and Iran ramps up, there is another, silent war taking place between the two nation-states.

KIRO Newsradio asked Cristin Flynn Goodwin, a cybersecurity expert who worked for Microsoft for two decades, tracking some of the world’s most notorious hackers, including groups connected to the Israeli and Iranian militaries, about the fallout of a potential cyber war.

Israel-Iran cyber warfare

“We have seen years of cyber war back and forth between these two states. The Israeli Army is well known for its cyber capabilities, and its Unit 8200 is world-class,” Goodwin said. “The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, the IRGC, and its Mabna Institute are also very well known.”

Since Israel launched its initial missile attack on Tehran last week, it appears both sides have unleashed a new round of cyberattacks, potentially leading to lethal consequences. Ragnar Cybersecurity estimated Iranian cyberattacks have increased 700% against Israeli targets.

Last week, Iranian hackers reportedly sent text messages to thousands of Israelis threatening terror attacks. And days ago, two leading cyber firms urged American companies to bolster their cyber defenses, noting a history of Iranian state-sponsored hackers targeting U.S. infrastructure during previous conflicts.

“Cyber warfare can be dangerous,” Goodwin said. “Should a nation-state choose to escalate and use its tactics to go after a piece of critical infrastructure like operational control in heating or electrical systems all around our country, or if they wanted to get into a water system?”

In 2023, according to the FBI and NSA, cyber criminals linked to the Iranian military hacked into Israeli-made controls used to run “multiple” water systems at facilities across the U.S.

Last September, the Israeli government was blamed for communications devices dramatically exploding across Lebanon, including phones and pagers, used by the Iran-backed terrorist group Hezbollah.

On Monday, an Israeli hacking group called Predatory Sparrow was credited for a cyber-attack that destroyed the data of Bank Sepah. They claimed the bank is an institution used by the Iranian government to circumvent international sanctions and fund terrorist proxies, its ballistic missile program, and its military nuclear program.

Goodwin, who is a managing partner at Advance Cyber Law and works closely with former White House cyber experts, said both Israel and Iran are hacking into each other’s systems to survey damage caused by their own missile attacks.

However, she said it is unlikely either side is planning a massive cyber-attack to damage critical infrastructure. “I think it’s too early to tell, and I can’t really speculate what that will look like,” Goodwin said.

Instead, she warned people should make sure the security on their computers and mobile phones is up to date. “If you’ve got devices that haven’t been updated in a while, now is the time,” Goodwin said. “Geopolitical turmoil is usually a good reminder to check your cyber windows and door locks, and make sure your devices are updated and ready to withstand any incoming hits.”

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