14 DAY TRIAL // Senior officials have revealed that the US has started helping Middle Eastern allies protect their computer systems against Iranian hackers. In the upcoming period, the US plans to help its Asian allies against cyberattacks from North Korea.
According to The New York Times, it’s uncertain which countries benefit from the US’s cyber capabilities. However, officials say that Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are likely on the list.
As far as Asian countries are concerned, it’s believed that South Korea and Japan are the most tempting targets for North Korean cyber operations.
Interestingly, an unnamed Israeli military official claims to possess evidence that Iran and North Korea are actually working together on developing cyber weapons. American officials say they’re unaware of such a collaboration.
US officials on the other hand believe Iran is hiring foreign developers associated with cybercriminal activities, including ones from Russia.
Iran and North Korea are making significant improvements as far as their cyber capabilities are concerned, but they’re not as advanced as countries such as China or Russia.
However, unlike China and Russia, Iran and North Korea don’t have anything to lose if they attempt to disrupt financial or energy markets.