Iran and the United States continue to stand in opposition, not only in the military and diplomatic arenas, but also on a less visible front, cyber warfare.
Indeed, in this sector, Tehran appears to demonstrate particularly high operational capabilities.
Iranian hackers are utilizing both older and modern technologies not only to respond to US and Israeli cyberattacks, but also to conduct extensive intelligence-gathering operations.
The cyberattacks attributed to Iran reportedly target critical infrastructure of NATO member states, military installations, as well as the personal data of US military personnel.
Many Western analysts estimate that the cyber capabilities of the country have evolved significantly in recent years.
Digital hunting of US military personnel
Iranian hackers are reportedly exploiting vulnerabilities in older telecommunications networks as part of one of their most daring digital operations to date, tracking the location of US military personnel in various regions of the Middle East.
According to a report by the New York Times, after the start of the conflict with Iran, a wave of coordinated location tracking requests was recorded through regional mobile networks.
The incidents appeared most frequently in Bahrain, which hosts a significant number of US military installations.
According to the same information, Iranian agencies were utilizing mobile phone signals to monitor military personnel.
The New York Times characterized this practice as digital hunting, pointing out that many soldiers may have been unaware that their own devices could be used as a means of tracking them.
The American report also states that Iran demonstrated remarkable capabilities in the field of intelligence.
The precise geolocation of high-value targets based on simple mobile phone signals, particularly in environments with advanced communication infrastructure, is considered an extremely complex and demanding operation.
Iran is considered one of the most advanced countries in utilizing artificial intelligence and neural networks in cyber warfare.
The Iranian Ministry of Defense, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and the Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) possess their own independent cyber operation units.
The constant competition among these agencies pushes Iranian hackers to continuously evolve and adopt the most modern technologies.
As a result, they have developed significant capabilities both in breaching mobile networks and in utilizing advanced artificial intelligence systems.
According to a report by the Financial Times, modern artificial intelligence models, such as ChatGPT, can significantly accelerate Tehran's cyber operations.
These tools are used to develop malware, write highly convincing phishing emails in fluent Hebrew and Arabic, and support cyberattacks.
The United Arab Emirates has stated that it receives more than half a million cyberattacks daily, claiming that a significant portion of them is attributed to Iranian groups, which utilize advanced artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT.
Israel also faces intense pressure in cyberspace, with a high volume of phishing messages and SMS targeting its citizens.
Some of these even call for cooperation with the Iranian intelligence services.
The use of artificial intelligence allows for the creation of highly convincing messages, which are difficult to distinguish from authentic communications.
Additionally, it has been reported that the Iranian hacker group APT42 used ChatGPT to search for information regarding potential methods of jamming US F-35 fighter jets.
This incident suggests that Iran seeks to utilize artificial intelligence not only for espionage operations but also for gathering strategically important information regarding advanced weapons systems.
Iranian cyber groups continue to pose a significant challenge to the United States.
The Financial Times even comments sarcastically that some US military personnel still treat airstrikes as a means of addressing a problem that unfolds primarily in cyberspace.
In this context, it is reported that US strikes hit the data center and artificial intelligence research laboratories of Sharif University.
However, according to the same approach, these attacks did not substantially affect the operational capabilities of Iranian hackers.
Hackers of international reach
The cyber capabilities of Iran have been significantly strengthened thanks to its close cooperation with Russia, China, and North Korea, according to Reuters.
Since the start of the US-Israeli military operation, Iran has reportedly received cyber support and intelligence from its allies, aiming to strengthen its offensive capabilities in cyberspace.
According to the same information, Iranian hackers gained access to satellite imagery of US and other military installations in the Middle East, as well as airports and oil infrastructure.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Iranian hackers carried out sophisticated cyber espionage operations, breaching at least 50 surveillance cameras in Israel and deleting data from approximately 60 companies.
Through these breaches, Iran reportedly acquired precise information regarding the damage caused by its missile attacks, as well as data that allowed for the tracking of military force movements.
The CNN also reports another highly complex Iranian cyber operation. According to the report, oil and gas companies in Israel and the United Arab Emirates received video conferencing software that contained malicious code.
Once the program was installed on corporate computers, the hackers gained remote access to the systems.
At the same time, they reportedly sent fake job advertisements for software engineers in Middle East countries.
When the candidates opened the relevant files or messages, the attackers gained access to their computers and extracted available data.
According to CNN, through these operations, Iran gained access to sensitive information, such as data on fuel reserves at gas stations in the United States and passenger lists for flights destined for the Middle East.
According to the same reports, the security services of several of the affected companies did not notice the breaches in time, a fact attributed to the particularly discreet mode of operation of the Iranian hackers.
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