Colored computer code makes up the colors of the Iranian flag. Under the IRGC and allied institutions, the Iranian government has devoted vast resources to cyberwarfare, posing a challenge for the United States and the West. (Shutterstock/Mehaniq)

Iran’s Cyberattacks on Israel Tripled This Year. Should the US Be Worried?

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Israel’s defense of its own cybersecurity has lessons for the United States, which could soon find itself in a similar position.

The United States and Israel have repeatedly struck Iran since the start of Operation Epic Fury at the end of February. Even as the Islamic Republic possesses the military capability to target Israel with its large stockpiles of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones, its ability to execute a successful, large-scale strike has been heavily constrained by Israel’s advanced air defenses and the presence of US military assets in the region.

That doesn’t mean that Iran hasn’t responded to Israel’s strikes, however. Tehran has simply taken the war online, where cyberattacks against Israel tripled during the recent regional conflict, surging to more than 4,800 hostile incidents at the peak of the conflict.

Both the traditional Iranian military and its paramilitary Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) now operate capable cyberwarfare divisions, which lead the efforts against Israel. They are supported by civilians and even activists working at the behest of Tehran. Some are paid,........

© The National Interest