A Cyberattack From Iran Is More Likely Now, Experts Warn

Iran attacks U.S. military base in retaliation Late Tuesday night, Iran lobbed more than a dozen missiles at a U.S. military base in Iraq in retaliation for the killing...

(Photo Credit: AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)

Iran attacks U.S. military base in retaliation

Late Tuesday night, Iran lobbed more than a dozen missiles at a U.S. military base in Iraq in retaliation for the killing of one of its top generals. But experts warn that Americans should also be on high alert for cyberattacks.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Iran has “deep and complex” cyber capabilities. He said the nation might be capable of knocking out power grids or otherwise disrupting American infrastructure. However, U.S. intelligence is not aware of any specific threats.

“At this time we have no information indicating a specific, credible threat to the Homeland,” the Department of Homeland Security said in a memo this week. “Iran and its partners, such as Hizballah, have demonstrated the intent and capability to conduct operations in the United States. Iran maintains a robust cyber program and can execute cyberattacks against the United States. Iran is capable, at a minimum, of carrying out attacks with temporary disruptive effects against critical infrastructure in the United States.”

On Sunday, a hacker uploaded a picture of an Iranian flag and an image of Donald Trump being punched in the face of the Federal Depository Library Program. The Department of Homeland Security said it was monitoring the situation and was working diligently to prevent further hacking.