THE US may be forced to take military action against Iran to stop the growing threat from cybercriminals.
Cybersecurity expert James Shires thinks the threat to states, businesses, and consumers will continue to worsen as hackers hone their tactics.
It is feared that hackers may soon also start targeting Americans through streaming services, such as Netflix.
Iran is considered one of the four major players in cyberspace, alongside North Korea, Russia, and China.
Speaking to The Sun, Shires called on the US and the international community to find strategies to deter the possibility of future attacks.
He said: "The US can take preventative action especially using military organizations such as the Cyber Command to disrupt Iranian operations even before they happen."
But the expert warned that such action could increase the risk of a security dilemma where states move to bolster their own defense.
This could lead to an arms race, similar to the Cold War, but fought in cyberspace.
Shires said a "security dilemma" could arise because states don't know the norms of behavior in cyberspace.
He said: “If you see a missile attack or nuclear weapons, there are clear red lines about what states can and can't do. This is not quite so clear in cyberspace.”
Cyber threats continue to evolve and hackers are increasingly targeting the entertainment sector and streaming platforms.
Shires said: “I think the threats will continue to grow as more of society moves online.
"As societies become more digital, it will be easier to cause disruption through a cyber operation.
"This is not going away, and we are going to have to live with it.
"You could definitely see the growth of streaming services as an economic incentive to target media organizations whether it's ransomware or disruption.
"Before Netflix existed, there wasn't any money to made out of trying to hack Netflix."
Attacks on the entertainment industry are not unusual with Sony Pictures targeted in 2014.
Alleged North Korean hackers dubbed "The Guardians of Peace" reportedly leaked confidential data that included information about employees, families, and previously unseen scripts of upcoming movies.
They demanded Sony to pull the satirical film The Interview – a comedy movie about a plot to assassinate the country’s supreme leader Kim Jong-Un.
The group threatened to launch terrorist attacks at the theaters that showed the movie, according to The Guardian.
North Korea denied all responsibility for the hack on the entertainment giant.
HACK FEARS
In November 2017, prosecutors charged Iranian national Behzad Mesri with hacking into cable TV network HBO and stealing episodes and plot summaries for unaired programs including Game of Thrones.
Mesri allegedly threatened to release the data unless he was paid $6 million, according to Reuters.
Prosecutors in Manhattan described Mesri as an "experienced and sophisticated" hacker.
Shires warned that the US government needs to do more to improve cyber security responsibility among Americans.
He said: “I would say people are very aware of cybersecurity threats so getting threat messaging out there is not a problem.
"What's difficult for governments is getting messages about cybersecurity responsibility out there.
“They need to show people that the little things they do such as using better passwords and being more secure online can make a big difference.
“This may not seem like a big thing but it will actually raise the base level of security online overall."
Fears about a potential cyberattack from Tehran continue to grow.
Garrett Graff, director for cyber initiatives at the Aspen Institute, said the US must find a "stable doctrine" that prevents an escalation in catastrophic attacks as rogue powers try to "test" Washington.
He fears that the consequences of a potential attack could be both economically and politically devastating across the West.
While an attack on the US from Tehran is "unlikely", according to Shires, Iran can exert influence in the Middle East using cyber operations.
The country is economically weak in large part due to US-imposed sanctions levied on the country since 1979.
Also, uranium production is severely curtailed under the terms of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action – known as the Iran nuclear deal, although that agreement is slowly being abandoned by Tehran.
Shires said: "Cyber operations do offer states such as Iran quite a low investment way of having outside influence. They do not have to put a lot in to get a lot out."
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