Cyber Retaliation Escalates: Iranian Hacktivists Target Critical Infrastructure Following Military Strikes

Sophos CTU reports a notable increase in Iranian hacktivist operations after coordinated US and Israeli strikes, with groups such as Handala Hack Team/COBALT MYSTIQUE and APTIran claiming website defacements, DDoS, doxxing and even disruptive access to OT systems; RaaS group BaqiyatLock is offering affiliates to target Israeli entities and researchers warn the U.S. may also face retaliation, recommending heightened patching, phishing monitoring, attack-surface reduction, and continuity planning.