Iranian hackers said they are escalating their attacks on critical US infrastructure

Iranian hackers are stepping up attacks on critical sectors of U.S. infrastructure as tensions rise over hostilities in the Middle East, according to an advisory issued Tuesday by a group of intelligence and law enforcement agencies.

The hacking campaign targets operational technology devices vulnerable to the Internet, including programmable logic controllers used to control critical sectors such as water, energy, and local municipalities, Reuters reported. consultative He said. The campaign appears to have already affected some vital sectors, according to a statement issued by the FBI.

“These attacks resulted in reduced PLC functionality, manipulation of display data, and, in some cases, disruption of operations and financial loss,” the FBI said in a statement. Share on X (Formerly called Twitter).

The advice about escalating piracy campaigns comes as President Donald Trump threatened that “an entire civilization will die tonight” if Iran fails to meet a recent deadline for a deal that includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

The advisory did not identify the targeted companies or describe the severity of the attacks, but stated that hackers had been discovered interacting with project files and changing presentation data. The advice recommends disconnecting weak controllers from the Internet.

In March, hackers linked to Iran claimed to have done so FBI Director Kash Patel’s personal Gmail account was accessed He posted photos and his biography on the Internet. A group called Handala Hack TeamThe company, which federal investigators say is linked to Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security, posted photos of Patel smoking a cigar while standing next to an old convertible and holding a large bottle of Havana Club rum.

Iran last week He threatened to attack the facilities In the Middle East, it is owned by American technology companies as part of the escalating war that began with American and Israeli strikes at the end of February. The US government said it would defend companies that were threatened.

The advisory was jointly written by the FBI, National Security Agency, Federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, and U.S. Cyber ​​Command.