Iran is looting US through cyber-attacks, claims a US cyber-security company

Tehran/Washington: Iran, who threatened an unconventional war in retaliation to the sanctions imposed by the United States is realising its threat through cyber-attacks. The US cybersecurity group has exposed this information and has warned that Iranian hackers are attacking the US companies for financial gains. US cybersecurity experts and former officials have said that the Iranian cyber-attacks have intensified, against the background of the withdrawal of the US President from the Iran nuclear deal and subsequently imposing harsh sanctions against Iran.

US President, Donald Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal and imposed harsh sanctions against Iran. The events over the last six months, show that the Iranian economy has been severely affected due to these economic sanctions. The Iranian government had claimed that these sanctions were as good as waging a war against Iran and that Iran would retaliate strongly against it. On this background, the increasing cyber-attacks on the United States, at the hands of the Iranian hackers attracts attention.

A report published by Accenture Security, a renowned cyber security company has claimed that the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and other organisations are the masterminds behind these cyber-attacks on the United States. The Accenture report also states that the cyber-attacks through Ransomware are being carried out for financial swindling. The report warns that the Iranian hackers are targeting the US companies in the Banking, Industrial and Finance sectors.

Although the Iranian hackers have not attacked the US infrastructural facilities or any other sensitive sectors, they are vying to acquire the capability to do that. The Iranian hackers are preparing to attack countries like Saudi Arabia and Israel along with the United States, warned Tom Parker, a senior expert at Accenture Security.

It is being reminded at this time, that several cyber-attacks had been carried out on the US financial sector even in the past, after sanctions were imposed by the United States against Iran in 2012 and 2014. The top 50 companies in the United States had suffered losses of millions of dollars. The Secretary of Defence and other senior officials had warned that countries like Iran and North Korea may carry out cyber-attacks on the United States.

The United States has already announced that if it faces any cyber-attack by any country or organisation, it will be considered as good as a physical attack, and the United States will be free to retaliate in any way that it deems fit. A law to that effect has also been passed in the United States. Therefore, it may respond strongly to any cyber-attacks from Iran. The United States may retaliate via cyber-attacks of its own or may use the weapon of fresh economic sanctions. At such a time, the option of military action against Iran will also be open to the United States. Although the United States has not made any official announcement of the cyber-attacks, the report published by the experts at Accenture Security looks like a prelude to the government’s announcement.