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CONTENDER EVEN BEFORE AN ISRAELI STRIKE KILLED HIS FATHER. HERE IN THE HEARTLAND. THE NATIONAL COUNTERTERRORISM CENTER, BASED IN OMAHA, SAYS IT IS TRACKING CYBER THREATS COMING FROM IRANIAN BASED GROUPS. KETV NEWSWATCH SEVEN’S BETH CARLSON IS IN STUDIO NOW WITH HOW EXPERTS SAY THIS AFFECTS NEBRASKANS. BETH MAT THREATS OF AN IRANIAN BASED CYBER ATTACK ARE CAUSE FOR CONCERN FOR INSIGHT. BUT WHAT DOES A CYBER THREAT LOOK LIKE AND HOW COULD IT PLAY OUT IN THE METRO? I ASKED INSIGHT DIRECTOR LOGAN. WE’RE IMMEDIATELY THINKING ABOUT WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS TO THE UNITED STATES, U.S. PERSONS ABROAD, AND HONESTLY, NEBRASKA. THAT’S WHAT NATIONAL COUNTERTERRORISM, INNOVATION, TECHNOLOGY AND EDUCATION CENTER DIRECTOR GINA LEGEND SAYS THE UNO BASED GROUP IS EVALUATING AFTER FURTHER CONFLICT IN IRAN. INSIGHT RESEARCHES AND TRACKS CYBER ATTACKS ACROSS THE NATION AND HERE IN NEBRASKA. WHAT IRAN DOES IS THEY USE ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT MALWARE TO BE ABLE TO REACH DIRECTLY INTO OUR HOMES, BUT THEIR REAL TARGET IS OUR CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE. SO THE THINGS THAT KEEP, YOU KNOW, NEBRASKA AND AMERICA RUNNING. LEGEND SAYS THEY’VE SEEN AN INCREASE IN TARGETED ATTACKS TOWARD SECTORS LIKE POWER AND WATER. ONE THAT WE’VE SEEN THE MOST SORT OF ACTIVITY ON FOR THEM HAS BEEN THE ENERGY SECTOR, WHICH, YOU KNOW, POWER GRID, ANYTHING THAT SUPPLIES HEAT TO OUR HOMES AND BEING ABLE TO PUT SOME OF THAT MALWARE ON IT. AND THEY USE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF UNSOPHISTICATED ATTACKS, BUT THEY JUST USE A LOT OF THEM, MILITARY OR GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES OR THEIR FRIENDS AND FAMILY ARE POTENTIAL TARGETS FOR AN ATTACK. JUST BEING MORE CAUTIOUS THAN USUAL ABOUT, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT FACEBOOK REQUESTS OR DIFFERENT EMAILS THAT YOU GET, JUST RECOGNIZING THAT WE ARE POTENTIAL TARGETS FOR THEM. NOW, INSIGHT IS MONITORING REPORTED ATTACKS ON TECHNOLOGY AND CYBER SECURITY. BUT WE’VE CERTAINLY SEEN SCAM PHONE CALLS, TEXT MESSAGES. BUT WHAT DOES INSIGHT SAY NEBRASKANS SHOULD BE LOOKING OUT FOR? SO THERE’S A COUPLE OF THINGS THEY SAY ARE OFTEN TARGETED, ESPECIALLY HERE IN NEBRASKA. THEY SAY SIMILAR SCAM ATTACKS, LIKE EMAILS ASKING YOU TO CLICK ON UNKNOWN LINKS, BUT ALSO USING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO MIMIC VOICES, ESPECIALLY ON PHONE CALLS, IS A POPULAR WAY THAT THEY ARE CURRENTLY
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NCITE warns of Iranian-based cyberattacks in Nebraska
The National Counter-Terrorism Center in Omaha is tracking cyber threats from Iranian-based groups, focusing on Nebraska’s critical infrastructure.
The National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center in Omaha is tracking cyber threats from Iranian-based groups, raising concerns about potential impacts on Nebraska’s critical infrastructure. Gina Ligon, NCITE founder and director, said the UNO-based group is evaluating the implications of further conflict in Iran on the United States, U.S. persons abroad, and Nebraska. “What Iran does is they use all kinds of different malware to be able to reach directly into our homes. But their real target is our critical infrastructure. So, the things that keep Nebraska and America running,” Ligon said.Ligon noted an increase in targeted attacks toward sectors like power and water. “The one that we’ve seen the most sort of activity on for them has been the energy sector, power grid, anything that supplies heat to our homes. And being able to put some of that malware on it, and they use kind of unsophisticated attacks, but they just use a lot of them,” Ligon said.Military or government employees, along with their friends and family, are potential targets for an attack. Ligon advised Nebraskans to be vigilant against emails asking to click unknown links and phone calls using artificial intelligence to mimic voices requesting information.”Just being more cautious than usual about, you know, different Facebook requests or different emails that you get, just recognizing that we are potential targets for them,” Ligon said.Make sure you can always see the latest news, weather, sports and more from KETV NewsWatch 7 on Google search.NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |
The National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center in Omaha is tracking cyber threats from Iranian-based groups, raising concerns about potential impacts on Nebraska’s critical infrastructure.
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Gina Ligon, NCITE founder and director, said the UNO-based group is evaluating the implications of further conflict in Iran on the United States, U.S. persons abroad, and Nebraska.
“What Iran does is they use all kinds of different malware to be able to reach directly into our homes. But their real target is our critical infrastructure. So, the things that keep Nebraska and America running,” Ligon said.
Ligon noted an increase in targeted attacks toward sectors like power and water.
“The one that we’ve seen the most sort of activity on for them has been the energy sector, power grid, anything that supplies heat to our homes. And being able to put some of that malware on it, and they use kind of unsophisticated attacks, but they just use a lot of them,” Ligon said.
Military or government employees, along with their friends and family, are potential targets for an attack. Ligon advised Nebraskans to be vigilant against emails asking to click unknown links and phone calls using artificial intelligence to mimic voices requesting information.
“Just being more cautious than usual about, you know, different Facebook requests or different emails that you get, just recognizing that we are potential targets for them,” Ligon said.
Make sure you can always see the latest news, weather, sports and more from KETV NewsWatch 7 on Google search.
NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |
