What the continued escalation of tensions in the Middle East means for security
Summary: Cisco Talos said it is closely monitoring Middle East tensions for customers and partners, evaluating threats against critical infrastructure and high-profile businesses, and warned that state-sponsored targets may already be compromised with footholds that can go undetected for extended periods. Talos cited US-CERT's account that Iran has been an active adversary since late 2011, responsible for large-scale DDoS attacks on financial institutions, infiltration of a New York state dam, the Shamoon and ZeroCleare wipers, and espionage against universities and companies, while noting it has seen no indication yet of increased activity.
Why it matters: Talos's point is that the ideal targets may already be compromised and waiting to be triggered remotely, so perimeter defenses alone may not reveal the intrusion. And while prior regional campaigns leaned on wiper malware, Talos explicitly says that is no guarantee future ones will.
Read the original at Cisco Talos ↗
- Topics
- OT / ICS & Critical Infrastructure
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