Iranian hackers targeting specific industries for cyber attacks as conflict escalates
U.S. STRIKES DID IN HIS WORDS,
EXTENSIVE AND SERIOUS DAMAGE TO
THE PROGRAM. OKAY. THEY WOULD
SAY THAT, THOUGH, RIGHT?
OK? SO THANK YOU, BRIAN.
HOMELAND SECURITY IS WARNING OF
A HEIGHTENED THREAT ENVIRONMENT
IN THE U.S. RELATED TO THE
CONFLICT IN IRAN. TAKE A LOOK
AT THIS REAL-TIME CYBER THREAT
MAP FROM BIG DEFENDER. YOU CAN
SEE JUST HOW MANY ATTACKS HERE
ARE HAPPENING ALL OVER THE
WORLD RIGHT NOW. YOU SEE ALL
THOSE CIRCLES THERE.
INTERNATIONAL CYBER EXPERTS ARE
TELLING WRAL YOUR JOB MAY
IMPACT WHETHER YOU ARE TARGETED
WRAL'S. MONICA CASEY IS JOINING
US NOW LIVE FROM DUKE MONICA
AND EXPERT THERE SAYS ATTACKS
ARE LIKELY TO BE QUITE SPECIFIC
AS WELL.
>> LINA, THAT'S RIGHT. THE
INDUSTRY THAT YOU ARE IN MIGHT
ACTUALLY IMPACT WHETHER HACKERS
RELATED TO IRAN WOULD WANT TO
TARGET YOU SPECIFICALLY.
RESEARCHERS HERE AT DUKE SAY
SUSPICIOUS CYBER ACTIVITY, NO
MATTER WHERE YOU WORK IS ALWAYS
WORTH WATCHING.
>> FROM AIR SPACE TO
CYBERSPACE, WHETHER GUNS ARE
FIRING OR NOT. HACKERS ARE
NEVER ON HOLD THE FIRE. NO
CEASE-FIRE, CYBER ACTIVITY WILL
NEVER CEASE THIS LIFE
THREATENED THAT FIRM RADWARE
SHOWS IN THE LAST 24 HOURS THE
U.S. WAS THE SECOND MOST ATTACK
COUNTRY IN THE WORLD. OUR VIEW
IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR
DUKE'S CYBERSECURITY MASTER'S
PROGRAM. HE CONSIDERS IRANIAN
GROUPS TO BE A SECOND TIER
THREAT. ACTOR IN THE CYBER
DOMAIN BEHIND FIRST HEAR ACTORS
IN RUSSIA AND CHINA. THEY START
CONDUCTING ACTIVITY, MALICIOUS
ACTIVITY. THEY'RE NOT LOOKING
AT THE LONG-TERM POSITION.
HE BELIEVES IRANIAN GROUPS
WOULD TARGET BASED ON AN
OBJECTIVE RATHER THAN A BLANKET
THREAT TO ORDINARY PEOPLE WHEN
THEY ARE TARGETING INDIVIDUAL
FITS FOR A SPECIFIC REASON.
RIGHT? THIS INDIVIDUAL
>> WORKS IN GOVERNMENT. THIS
INDIVIDUAL HAS ACCESS TO
CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE
SYSTEMS, A SPREADSHEET OF CYBER
ATTACKS GOING BACK 20 YEARS
SHOWS POLITICAL AND GOVERNMENT
ORGANIZATIONS BROADCASTERS AND
DEFENSE INDUSTRY FIRMS ARE SOME
OF THE TOP TARGETS.
NOW, THE BIG QUESTION HERE,
HOW CAN YOU PROTECT YOURSELF?
ONE OF THE BEST WAYS IS BY
USING MULTI-FACTOR
AUTHENTICATION.
>> FOR EXAMPLE, MAYBE YOU TYPE
IN YOUR PASSWORD TO AN ACCOUNT
ON YOUR COMPUTER. YOU THEN
WOULD GET A CODE TO YOUR PHONE
THAT YOU'D HAVE TO ENTER ON
THE COMPUTER TO GET INTO THAT