By Mickey Carroll, science and technology reporter

Cybersecurity firms are warning of “spikes” in Iranian state-linked criminal activity.

Their warnings come after the government’s cyber intelligence centre alerted companies to “a heightened risk” of cyber attacks after strikes on Iran.

A threat intelligence team at Nozomi Networks Labs reported seeing spikes in the activity of three major groups linked to the country, with manufacturing and transportation sectors most targeted. 

What worries the analysts at Nozomi most, however, is the type of activity they’re seeing.

They say cybercriminals aren’t attacking – yet. 

Instead, they’re attempting to gain entry to systems by “quietly mapping environments and validating access”. 

“They haven’t moved to destructive action yet,” a Nozomi spokesperson said.

Another cybersecurity expert warned that this growing cyberthreat, alongside the physical threats of war, was “sadly a glimpse into what modern warfare actually looks like”. 

Jake Moore, global cybersecurity advisor at ESET, said: “Alongside the physical strikes, there are strong indications of widespread digital disruption aimed at degrading communications and increasing confusion at critical moments. 

“Denial of service attacks (DDoS) can kill communication which is vital at times such as these. 

“This is a warning sign of the future and it’s time businesses and critical infrastructure operators in the UK treat this as a credible threat signal to review their exposure now before a potential incident lands.”

Yesterday, the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre told organisations to prepare for attacks by reading up on different types of attacks and signing up for its early warning service. 

Organisations with offices or supply chains in the region should adjust their “cyber security posture”, potentially increase monitoring and review any external vulnerabilities, it said.