Amid new reports that Iran has broadened cyber attacks on the US, technology experts are warning that hacking is “perfectly suited to Iran's geopolitical situation”.A report from NBC said Iran had increased efforts in recent weeks to compromise computer systems in the US, which had the potential to affect electricity, telecoms and other critical infrastructure. Morey Haber, chief security adviser at US cybersecurity company BeyondTrust, told The National he was not surprised by Iran's continued attempts to flex its cyber crime capabilities against the US. “Cyber is an asymmetric weapon, perfectly suited to Iran’s geopolitical position and only requires expertise,” he said. Sanctions on Iran make hacking a logical last choice for the country, he added. “These attacks can have a significant impact on a population without requiring aircraft, missiles or personnel on American soil, while creating ambiguity around attribution and a proportional response.”Mr Haber added that, surprisingly, Iranian attacks were not particularly sophisticated from a technical standpoint. But the hackers seem to be having significant success by taking advantage of poor cybersecurity hygiene such as antiquated systems, weak password credential processes and devices that are unnecessarily connected to the internet. “Sometimes the easiest way through the front door is simply discovering that someone forgot...
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