STRIKING BACK

Report: U.S. Launched Retaliatory Cyber Attack Against Iran

The attack reportedly targeted a spy group with a history of tracking vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian hackers are also said to be launching new attacks.

While President Trump said he called off a military strike on Iranian targets on Thursday night, the U.S. Cyber Command reportedly launched a cyber attack against a spy group tied to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. Citing two former intelligence officials, Yahoo News reports the attack targeted a group with a history of tracking military and civilian vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz. The tracking reportedly enabled attacks on ships in the area. The reported retaliatory attack comes after a $240 million U.S. military drone was shot down by Iran earlier this week, sparking fears of a military confrontation. However, Trump disclosed Friday that he called off an airstrike after he heard about the potential casualties it might cause. A number of vessels have also been attacked in the Persian Gulf in recent weeks, intensifying tensions between the U.S. and Iran.

On Saturday, the Associated Press cited cyber analysts from CrowdStrike and FireEye who say Iran has stepped up cyber attacks on U.S. They said hackers thought to be employed by the Iranian government were targeting American governmental agencies and other sectors with spear-phishing emails, though it was unclear if those attacks had been successful.