Iranian Regime Hackers Previously Charged by U.S. Prosecutors with Attacking a New York Dam
Antonio Delgado: “I would argue one of the more important diplomatic achievements that we’ve seen in some time” (“NY 19 Candidate Forum 5-12-18,” Clip begins 44:13)
During a candidate forum in May, Antonio Delgado called the Iran Nuclear Deal “one of the more important diplomatic achievements that we’ve seen in some time.” Iran has been a persistent foe of the United States, including an attack on the critical cyber infrastructure of a dam located in Westchester County.
“Antonio Delgado’s stunning lack of foreign policy awareness is especially difficult to fathom given the complex set of threats the United States faces,” said Joe Gierut communications director for the Faso campaign. “The Iranian regime is no friend of the United States and their malign activities in the Middle East threaten our security here at home and the security of our allies, especially the State of Israel.”
Iran is the World’s Largest State Sponsor of Terrorism and has conducted offensive cyber attacks against the United States, seeking vulnerabilities in critical communications, financial and utility infrastructure.
• Iranian hackers breached a dam outside of New York in 2013, according to a former official, managing to get control of the flood gates. (CNN, 12/22/15)
• “In 2016, U.S. prosecutors charged seven Iranian computer experts linked to the government with a series of cyberattacks on U.S. banks and a New York dam.” (NBC News, 7/20/18)
The regime’s attempts to hack into U.S. infrastructure, companies, and government systems haven’t ended though. Iranian hackers have “laid the groundwork to carry out extensive cyberattacks on U.S. and European infrastructure and on private companies.” (NBC News, 7/20/18)
• “Iranian hackers have previously probed U.S. infrastructure, targeting U.S. electrical grids alone would mark a significant escalation in Iran’s use of cyber-warfare to date.” (NBC News, 7/20/18)
• “U.S. officials said Iran is making preparations that would enable denial-of-service attacks against thousands of electric grids, water plants, and health care and technology companies in the U.S., Germany, the U.K. and other countries in Europe and the Middle East.” (NBC News, 7/20/18)
“Coats wrote that U.S. intelligence agencies assessed that “Iran will continue working to penetrate U.S. and Allied networks for espionage and to position itself for potential future cyberattacks” (NBC News, 7/20/18)