Microsoft’s Digital Threat Analysis Center has revealed that Iranian state actors are employing cyber-enabled influence operations to boost cyberattacks and achieve greater geopolitical impact.
Clint Watts, general manager of the Digital Threat Analysis Center, wrote in a blog post published Tuesday that Microsoft researchers connected 24 unique cyber-enabled IO to the Iranian government in 2022, a significant increase compared to just seven in 2021.
According to Watts, Iran’s integration of cyber and influence operations accelerated in June 2022, with researchers tracking 17 operations from June to December.
Iran’s cyberattacks are mainly targeted at Israel, Gulf state adversaries and other opposition figures and organizations.
Tehran also launched cyber operations against the U.S., Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
In a new Microsoft Threat Intelligence report, the company defines cyber-enabled IO as combining offensive computer network operations with online messaging and amplification to influence target audiences’ decisions, perceptions and behaviors.
