Media Contact
U.S. strikes overnight on three nuclear sites in Iran have set off fears of escalations and retaliation. The Department of Homeland Security issued an advisory June 22 saying attacks from low-level cyber “hacktivists” are likely.
Gregory Falco
Assistant professor in Cornell Engineering
Gregory Falco, assistant professor of engineering at Cornell University, is a cybersecurity expert. He has been listed in Forbes 30 Under 30 for his contributions to critical infrastructure cybersecurity.
Falco says:
“Iran is a highly educated and technically adept nation-state. They are small in size and population compared to the U.S., but this doesn't mean that their response will be proportional to their size. This is where cyber operations are highly effective. It enables an asymmetric impact compared to a national relative investment in defense.
“Iran has always had a strong cyber program and what's going to happen here is that Iran will go after critical infrastructure in the U.S. We're talking about the electric grid, dams and water treatment plants, hospitals and space infrastructure. These systems are relatively poorly protected compared to military and defense capabilities and will have significant collateral damage when attacked. This is what we will see first. Then, Iran will amplify its terrorism proxies, which has been effective at hindering major powers and spreading them thin. Iran will not take this attack quietly.”
