Cyber is a force multiplier in Iran conflict

The recent activity attributed to the Iranian group Handala is another reminder that cyberspace still operates in a strategic grey zone. Even amid a fragile ceasefire, cyber operations, psychological warfare, intimidation campaigns, data leaks, and digital targeting continue almost uninterrupted. While kinetic operations may slow down, cyberspace rarely seems to follow the same rules. Threatening deployed US Marines through leaked personal data and direct messaging is not just “hacking” anymore. It’s influence operations, coercion, psychological pressure, and military signaling; all conducted below the traditional threshold of war. This raises an important question: Does a ceasefire apply to cyberspace? If a state-linked cyber group continues conducting disruptive or psychologically targeted operations during a ceasefire, should that be considered a violation of the agreement? Or are cyber operations still viewed as somehow “less escalatory” than conventional military actions? Cyber capabilities are now deeply integrated into modern military strategy and act as force multipliers for conventional operations. Yet internationally, cyber conflict still lacks many of the legal and doctrinal definitions that govern traditional warfare. Will we eventually see: • International treaties defining cyber military operations? • Clear rules on cyber activities during ceasefires? • Legal thresholds for when a cyberattack constitutes an act of war? • Definitions of when cyber operations become war crimes? Or will the international community continue normalizing increasingly aggressive cyber operations because they remain politically convenient below the threshold of open conflict? The domain may be digital, but the strategic, psychological, and potentially physical consequences are very real. https://lnkd.in/eSAtxwVH

Doxxing is the public release of personal information to expose and pressure individuals. That’s what we’re seeing in the recent activity from the Handala group, an Iran-aligned threat actor. This goes beyond systems and creates real-world impact. For defence organisations across the EU, this matters because personnel data is operational. Once exposed, it can be used to map roles and apply pressure that affects agency work and ongoing operations. Full SOCRadar® Extended Threat Intelligence report -> https://lnkd.in/etVaB-WA #cybersecurity #defence #ciso #threatintelligence #cyberrisk #europe

How Iran has excelled at 'threat projection' using cyber: no one wants to test Tehran's actual ability to execute, says Yelisey Bohuslavskiy, in this deep-dive look at how cyber operations are being used in the conflict, and comparing/contrasting this with what we've seen before, including in the Russia-Ukraine War. Watch our full discussion here: https://lnkd.in/eZfpxPpZ

This Tuesday was packed with sharp insights on the evolving security landscape @DefSec ! In picture, highlight keynote by Janis Sarts (CEO of the NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence) on hybrid threats and information warfare—an important reminder of how influence operations, AI, and cyber capabilities are reshaping modern conflict. Strong message throughout the day: Security today is a shared responsibility across sectors🫡 💥 Professio 💥

“Success is not defined by interrupting individual attacks, but by making them progressively more costly, more visible, and ultimately unsustainable.” Through the Offense Death Cycle, defenders can transform home-field advantage into sustained operational leverage, forcing attackers into repeated adaptation cycles that degrade their effectiveness over time. The result is not just defense, but the gradual exhaustion of offensive capability. Read the full article to understand how proactive environmental control can reshape the economics of cyber conflict. https://lnkd.in/ezpYYmAV . . . . . West Point Press | Army Cyber Institute | Volodymyr Styran 🇺🇦 #CyberDefenseReview #CyberOperations #CyberPersistenceTheory #offensedeathcycle

For every professional in UAE, whatever the branch... There was never a better time since invention of internet to be digitally aware and care for cyber hygiene. Why? AI has made low-level attacks practically automated. They create noise to hide the impactful ones. Don't be part of that noise by being easy hit. Authorities truly need to focus on what's most impactful - protecting key critical infrastructure points. Check three times before You click or download. Or ignore it, they will call You. Follow: https://lnkd.in/gy9gM_EE - and act accordingly! https://lnkd.in/gW6xJKHK

Chinese military hackers known as #VoltTyphoon are pre-positioning in U.S. power grids, water plants, and transportation systems. In a new op-ed, IST Senior Director for International Cyber Engagement Elizabeth Posegate Vish makes the case that getting the hackers out of U.S. critical infrastructure should start at this week’s Trump-Xi meeting, but it can’t end there. She lays out two concrete steps the Trump administration could take to follow through on promises made in the March 2026 National Cyber Strategy: drawing clear redlines and being prepared to impose appropriate, proportional costs. 🛡️ Read more: https://lnkd.in/gmM6Fd4g

Security threats rarely stay within one domain anymore. Physical, digital, geopolitical, reputational, and supply chain risks are increasingly overlapping and accelerating at the same time. That’s why Securitas Intelligence’ latest “Decision Advantage in the Gray Zone” report is so relevant 📑 Watch the video to hear Mike Evans, Louise Martin, and Laura Stevens perspectives on how Aerospace & Defense organizations can navigate the gray zone of risk with better intelligence, sharper situational awareness and faster decision-making ✈️ Protests. Cyber incidents. Supply chain disruption. Insider threats. Disinformation. Geopolitical tension. Individually they’re manageable. Combined, they create an entirely different level of complexity. A strong reminder that security today is no longer only about protection. It’s increasingly about foresight, resilience and enabling better business decisions. ➡️ Anyone interested in exploring the topic further can access the full report here: https://lnkd.in/dcKBTCNX 🔴🔴🔴 #Securitas #RiskIntelligence #Aerospace #Defense #IntelligenceLedSecurity

Tracking the rising fallout of IRGC cyber warfare and state attribution hurdles An analytical review of IRGC cyber warfare capabilities and the rising operational challenges of state-sponsored attribution....

Your company has never signed up for a war. That doesn't mean you're not in one. James Blake, VP of Global Cyber Resiliency Strategy at Cohesity, makes a point in our latest interview that's hard to shake: even if you have no connection to a defence contractor or a government, you can still become collateral damage in a state-sponsored cyber attack. The Iran conflict isn't just a geopolitical story. It's a live look at what happens when the lines between military targets and everyday business operations stop existing. Watch the full interview: https://lnkd.in/gHXkyaBF Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/gdxYPwBa #InformationSecurityBuzz #CyberWarfare #IranConflict