While a U.S.-Iranian cyberwar remains unlikely, lower-level attacks by Tehran against government and private companies and organizations are likely to increase.
As discord between the United States and Iran continue to rise in 2019, Tehran will reach deeper into its bag of deadly tricks to counter pressure from Washington. While the huge imbalance of power will restrain Iran from engaging in direct military conflict with the United States and its allies, it will retaliate with its asymmetrical arsenal. These weapons include cyberattacks, terrorism and support for its regional militant allies, and they pose a threat to companies and organizations in the Middle East and beyond. But what is most notable is how Iran's strategy for handling conflict in cyberspace mirrors its game plan for physical clashes. Cyberwarfare and Harassing Skirmishes Just as Iran is unlikely to challenge the United States in a large-scale military confrontation, it is also unlikely to wage a direct war on it in cyberspace. The United States is simply too strong in both arenas.
