Pro-Iran ‘hacktivists’ could target Canadian organizations, cybersecurity experts warn

The US-Israel War in Iran has triggered concerns worldwide about Iranian cyber retaliation.

Cybersecurity experts are advising Canadian organizations and operators of critical infrastructure to be on the lookout for attacks from Iranian-linked groups as U.S.-Israeli strikes on the Middle Eastern country continue.

Pro-Iran “hacktivists” could target Canada because of the federal government’s support for the U.S. and Israeli military action, the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security cautioned in a notice this week.

Iranian state-sponsored threat actors are also likely to conduct cyberespionage against political activists, journalists and human rights advocates in Canada, according to the centre, which is part of the national cryptologic agency, the Communications Security Establishment.

“We assess that Iranian cyber threat actors will likely target opponents abroad, especially those advocating for regime change in Iran,” the agency said on Monday.

Canadian infrastructure is unlikely to be the highest priority for Iranian state-sponsored attackers, some experts say.

“We’re not actively flying planes in right now, so I don’t think we’re at the top of the menu,” said David Shipley, CEO of Canadian cybersecurity software firm Beauceron Security Inc.

Over the weekend, a wave of cyberattacks accompanied the U.S.-Israeli strikes, according to news reports.

Iran experienced a near-total internet blackout on Saturday. News websites were hacked, and a religious calendar app called BadeSaba urged military personnel to give up their weapons and join the people.

Mr. Shipley called the attacks “the cyber equivalent of shock and awe,” adding, “it was like nothing we’d ever seen before.”

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