Iran has vowed revenge for the death of Qassam Soleimani (Picture: AP)
Iran’s retaliation for the US airstrike which killed its top general is likely to include cyberattacks, experts have warned.
Iran’s state-backed hackers are already among the world’s most aggressive and could inject malware that triggers major disruptions to the public and private sector.
The US has been warned that it faces ‘punishment’ for the death of Qassam Soleimani, who was killed in a US airstrike on Friday morning.
Attacks on ships in the Gulf and troops stationed in Iraq are possible targets for violent action but the Islamic regime could also attempt to hit software.
Potential targets include manufacturing facilities, oil and gas plants and transit systems.
A top US cybersecurity official has warned businesses and government agencies to be extra vigilant.
Iran has been successful in the past at knocking out US services (Picture: Getty)
In 2012 and 2013, in response to US sanctions, Iranian state-backed hackers carried out a series of disruptive denial-of-service attacks that knocked offline the websites of major banks as well as the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ.
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Two years later, they wiped servers at the Sands Casino in Las Vegas, crippling hotel and gambling operations.
Iran was also widely believed to have been behind a devastating 2012 attack on Aramco, the Saudi oil company, which wiped the data from more than 30,000 computers.
The attacks by Iran reduced after Tehran reached a nuclear deal with the Obama administration in 2015.
Trump abandoned the nuclear deal, sparking months of heightened tensions before yesterday’s military strike.
People gather at the funeral of the Iranian Major-General Qassem Soleimani, t ..
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