JOINT ADVISORY: Middle East Conflict & Critical Infrastructure

The conflict in the Middle East has security implications for critical infrastructure sector owners and operators across the globe. One potential threat is increased cyberattacks from Iranian state-sponsored actors, hacktivists, and cybercriminal groups aligned with Iran. Since Iran has launched cyberattacks during similar times of conflict, organizations should be prepared for the possibility of increased attacks. Additionally, there is a potential for physical attacks, which could be committed by homegrown violent extremists (HVEs) and include targets like public spaces and critical infrastructure entities.

Members of the National Council of ISACs (NCI) have collaborated on this joint bulletin to raise awareness across the critical infrastructure community of this common threat to critical infrastructure and global business more generally. Please note that any ISAC’s participation in this advisory is not an indication that the ISAC or its individual members are experiencing increased threat actor activity.