Illustrative photo depicting a person in front of the Iranian flag. (Credit: Behrouz Mehri/AFP)
As the Israel-Iran conflict intensified on the battlefield, a parallel cyber war — long simmering in the shadows — also flared. In recent weeks, both nations reported an uptick in cyberattacks. Tehran even cut internet access across parts of the country over fears of digital sabotage. Among the most high-profile incidents: a June 18 cyberattack by the pro-Israel hacker group Predatory Sparrow, also known as Gonjeshke Darande, which targeted Iran’s largest cryptocurrency platform, Nobitex, shortly after hitting Bank Sepah.According to The Wall Street Journal, Bank Sepah — sanctioned by the U.S. for facilitating purchases by Iran’s Defense Ministry — was the first target. The attack then moved to Nobitex, a platform founded in 2017 and reportedly used by over 11 million Iranians. Though not subject to international sanctions, Nobitex was...
As the Israel-Iran conflict intensified on the battlefield, a parallel cyber war — long simmering in the shadows — also flared. In recent weeks, both nations reported an uptick in cyberattacks. Tehran even cut internet access across parts of the country over fears of digital sabotage. Among the most high-profile incidents: a June 18 cyberattack by the pro-Israel hacker group Predatory Sparrow, also known as Gonjeshke Darande, which targeted Iran’s largest cryptocurrency platform, Nobitex, shortly after hitting Bank Sepah.According to The Wall Street Journal, Bank Sepah — sanctioned by the U.S. for facilitating purchases by Iran’s Defense Ministry — was the first target. The attack then moved to Nobitex, a platform founded in 2017 and reportedly used by over 11 million Iranians. Though not subject to international sanctions,...