Iranian Cyber Threats

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently issued a National Terrorism Advisory Bulletin highlighting increased threats to the United States from pro-Iranian hacktivists and individuals linked to the Iranian government. It warns that inadequately secured U.S. networks and internet connected devices are being targeted by low-level cyber-attacks.

The bulletin offers a collection of resources including best practices, tactics, and examples that could be used to mitigate these threats. The controls established by the Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) Standards are also of increased importance in a heightened threat environment. Standards like CIP-003-8, Section 2 (physical access controls), CIP-004-7 (personnel & training), and CIP-006-6 (physical security of Bulk Electric System (BES) Cyber Systems) are intended to ensure that robust security measures are implemented to effectively manage access to BES Cyber Systems.

Texas RE encourages entities to review the DHS Bulletin for more information and additional resources.