Operators of small-town water stations locked out of control panels across the Midwest. Networks on two Texas-bound energy tankers breached as they crossed into the Atlantic Ocean. Hundreds of refrigerators in European grocery stores ratcheted up to a blistering 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
Three cyberattacks since this summer with real-world impacts and one main suspect: Iranian hackers.
Iran has long been viewed as a second-tier cyber threat, lacking the technological and strategic sophistication of China, Russia and North Korea. Now, as the U.S. war with Iran grinds on, Tehran is flexing a new level of aggression that has cybersecurity experts warning that the Islamic Republic has become a more dangerous foe.
Tehran is expanding its targets and making the jump to attacks that inflict real-world harm, according to cyber officials and defense experts. The shift shows both a stronger grasp on new tools like artificial intelligence and a willingness to use them against a wider range of targets.