By Kevin Coleman
Defense Tech Cyber War Correspondent
Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi recently said technological advances have increased the need for defensive preparations against "cyber war." He went on: "At present, information and communication technologies are of great importance for different countries and we must prepare and equip ourselves against any form of cyber warfare."
The increased tensions with Israel and the United States are seen as the main drivers behind Iran’s efforts to improve their cyber defenses. These comments and actions came just weeks after Iran claimed they took down a US-backed cyber network that was established to collect sensitive information on the country's nuclear program and scientists as well as supporting and unrest after the June 2009 presidential election.
Iran is rated number 4 in terms of cyber war capabilities in “The Cyber Commander’s Handbook.” The scale is 1= low; 3=Medium; and 5=High.
Additional ratings are as follows:.
Cyber Capabilities Intent 4.1
Offensive Cyber Capabilities 3.6
Cyber Intelligence Capabilities 3.4
Overall Rating 3.6
It's clear that offensive, defensive and intelligence capabilities in the cyber domain are highly sought after capabilities for Iran and many other countries in the world today. This gives further credence to experts who argue that we are in the midst of a cyber arms race.
