New Delhi, March 9 (NationPress) Cybersecurity experts have observed a significant increase in cyber threats aimed at critical infrastructure in the United States in the aftermath of the strikes on Iran that occurred on February 28. Over 60 hacktivist groups with ties to Iran have initiated coordinated online activities within hours of these military actions, as detailed in a recent report.

According to a study conducted by cybersecurity firm CloudSEK, these groups have established an "Electronic Operations Room" on Telegram to facilitate coordination of cyber activities and share potential targets.

Researchers indicated that this mobilization seems to be fueled more by ideological motivations rather than direct state oversight, complicating efforts to predict or mitigate these attacks.

This report underscores the increasing worries regarding the susceptibility of US critical infrastructure systems linked to the internet.

The findings reveal that over 40,000 industrial control systems (ICS) in the United States are currently reachable via the public internet, with numerous systems safeguarded by weak, default, or even absent login credentials.

These industrial control systems are essential for the operation of critical infrastructure, including power grids, water supply systems, and manufacturing plants.

Given that many of these systems remain vulnerable online, they present a substantial potential attack surface for cyber adversaries.

CloudSEK's researchers noted that the advent of artificial intelligence tools has substantially reduced the entry barriers for executing such attacks.

In an illustration performed by the firm, an individual with no prior experience in industrial control systems was able to compile a list of accessible US industrial targets in under five minutes using AI tools and passive reconnaissance methods.

The researchers clarified that this process required no direct scanning of systems, no exploitation tools, and no specialized technical knowledge—emphasizing how AI is becoming a force multiplier for cyber threat actors.

The company also cautioned about the "dual-use" nature of AI technologies. Many AI platforms currently utilized by defense and security agencies are readily available online, enabling attackers to employ them for offensive reconnaissance and target identification.

In a further report assessing the wider threat landscape, CloudSEK stated that the events of February 28 did not create the cyber threats confronting US infrastructure but rather accelerated an existing risk that has been evolving for over a decade.