Iran's hackers target airlines, energy, defense companies

(Reuters) - Iranian hackers have infiltrated major airlines, energy companies, and defense firms around the globe over the past two years in a campaign that could eventually cause physical damage, according to U.S. cyber security firm Cylance.

The report comes as governments scramble to better understand the extent of Iran's cyber capabilities, which researchers say have grown rapidly as Tehran seeks to retaliate for Western cyber attacks on its nuclear program.

"We believe that if the operation is left to continue unabated, it is only a matter of time before the team impacts the world’s physical safety," Cylance said in an 87-page report on the hacking campaign released on Tuesday.

The California-based company said its researchers uncovered breaches affecting more than 50 entities in 16 countries, and had evidence they were committed by the same Tehran-based group that was behind a previously reported 2013 cyber attack on a U.S. Navy network.

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