FBI Partners with Private Sector and Allies to Combat Escalating Iranian Cyber Threats

The FBI is actively collaborating with the private sector and international partners to counter hacking attempts by Iran-linked cyber criminals targeting US digital infrastructure. Speaking at the Billington Cyber Security Summit in Washington on Tuesday, Jason Bilonski, deputy assistant director of the FBI's cyber operations branch, addressed recent cyber attacks affecting water systems across the US.

"We don't work in silos any more," said Mr Bilonski, noting that intelligence and leads on hackers are now routinely shared between the FBI, international allies, and the US private sector. He highlighted that sharing has evolved from one-way, unilateral communication into a prolific partnership where the private sector acts as a key stakeholder.

Mr Bilonski also warned that the use of artificial intelligence by malicious actors to maximize attack efficiency is becoming a major global challenge. "It's happening now, it's going to continue, it's going to increase," he stated.

Discussing strategic approaches under President Donald Trump's administration, Mr Bilonski explained that the current policy focuses not only on stopping cyber attacks, but also on instilling fear in potential adversaries. Referring to an executive order empowering private-sector computer security companies to fight back against hackers, he added, "We want to go after these adversaries with our partners and allies."

David Liebenberg, leader of state-sponsored research threats at Cisco Talso, a division of Cisco, emphasized that artificial intelligence is lowering the barrier of entry for aspiring cyber criminals. "It has a big psychological impact," he said, noting that less sophisticated attacks can still create widespread disruptions even when halted quickly.

While Iranian threats have dominated US cybersecurity concerns amid ongoing conflicts, Russia remains another significant actor. Ivan Kalabashkin, Ukraine's deputy director of cyber security, noted that President Trump's focus on confronting hackers resonates strongly with Ukraine as it faces thousands of cyber attacks during its war with Russia. "President Trump's administration has put it clearly and obviously in its cyber strategy: they want to detect, confront and defeat cyber adversaries," he said.

To protect against these threats, Mr Bilonski recommended basic security practices such as multi-factor authentication, vigilance regarding suspicious emails, and keeping critical infrastructure devices offline. "Those things help today, and they'll help tomorrow as cyber attacks continue," he emphasized.

According to technology analysts, Iran-backed cyber attacks against the US have surged since the end of February following US and Israel actions against Iran. Notable incidents include the Handala hacking group breaching the personal email and cloud services of FBI director Kash Patel in March, as well as an attack on Michigan medical technology company Stryker. In June, Handala claimed responsibility for breaching systems at California Water Service, releasing data from the intrusion while claiming that a water supply disruption affecting 20,000 customers was due to local technical errors rather than intentional destruction by the hackers.