Bridget Johnson
As seen in:
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Opinion and editorial, national security, counterterrorism, crime, public safety, politics, homeland security, foreign policy, critical infrastructure, federal government, international affairs
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Executive Editor of Threat Beat. Editorial Director at the McCrary Institute. Formerly at CNN. Terrorism analyst. PI. OSINT fan. Forever #49ersFaithful 🏈
Articles by Bridget Johnson
Hackers claim ‘complete paralysis’ of 1,825 Azerbaijan government websites in response to hijab ban
Skip to content SPECIAL 25 YEARS AFTER 9/11: SECURITY CHALLENGES NOW AND AHEAD | READ MORE → Baku, Azerbaijan (Image by Bilal Agalarov from Pixabay) By • Oct 14, 2026 A pro-Iran hacking group claimed responsibility for a vast attack on Azerbaijan government websites, saying Tuesday that they launched the DDoS hits to “completely destroy” digital infrastructure in response to the country’s recent hijab restrictions in schools.
‘Not the last SCADA attack’: Hackers claim ICS breach of pool company
By • Oct 13, 2026 A hacking group that claimed one of the first cyber strikes in response to the U.S. and Israel attacking Iran said it commandeered the industrial control systems of a German company in what will be“not the last SCADA attack.” In an Oct. 3 Telegram post, Hider Nex claimed it hit a company in Albstadt, Germany, that makes ventilation equipment for indoor swimming pools. “What can we control?
Iran hackers vow to turn Americans ‘into hamburger meat,’ ‘blow up’ facilities over U.S. threats
By • Oct 06, 2026 The Iran hacking group that claimed responsibility for recent breaches of U.S. water systems and a communications outage in Texas threatened Monday to turn Americans “into hamburger meat” while attacking infrastructure if the United States threatens to use nuclear weapons on Iran.
Iran hackers offer bounty for Americans: $15K if alive, $2.5K if dead
Skip to content SPECIAL 25 YEARS AFTER 9/11: SECURITY CHALLENGES NOW AND AHEAD | READ MORE → An AH-64E Apache assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division conducts operations in support of Operation Epic Fury in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility on May 3, 2026.
Claiming new outage, pro-Iran hackers give Bluesky deadline with threat to ‘destroy their servers’
Skip to content SPECIAL 25 YEARS AFTER 9/11: SECURITY CHALLENGES NOW AND AHEAD | READ MORE → (Image by Ramon López Calvo from Pixabay) By • Sep 28, 2026 Pro-Iran hackers said they took at least their third stab at Bluesky today, claiming responsibility for an afternoon outage and giving the social media platform less than a 15-hour contact deadline before “we will destroy their servers.” The Bluesky status page reported a “partial outage” affecting the website, app and feeds.
Pro-Iran hackers claim ‘cyber-missiles’ campaign on Saudi infrastructure as Houthis land physical blows
Skip to content SPECIAL 25 YEARS AFTER 9/11: SECURITY CHALLENGES NOW AND AHEAD | READ MORE → (Image by apriltan18 from Pixabay) By • Sep 23, 2026 Pro-Iran hackers who have claimed to have hit Western companies including eBay, Spotify, X, Bluesky, Airbnb, Target and more with DDoS attacks since the start of the Iran war recently have focused their efforts on disabling online services across various Saudi infrastructure sectors.
Iran hackers: Dissatisfaction with AT&T services drove decision to target telecom in Texas
By • Sep 14, 2026 Iranian hackers who claimed to have struck telecommunications and water systems in Texas last week said they targeted AT&T because of consumer dissatisfaction with the company and backed off from a vow to escalate attacks in conjunction with the 9/11 anniversary.
The violent Com network came of age in the era of jihadi terrorism. Here’s why that’s a significant threat
By • Sep 11, 2026 For years I marked each anniversary of 9/11 with fresh analysis of how terrorism tactics and trends have been evolving, particularly recruitment, incitement and training in online spaces. Far from the days when al-Qaida would drop a videotape and hope that al-Jazeera would air their entire message, foreign terrorist organizations learned how to commandeer a flourishing social media landscape to expand their direct messaging reach and networking opportunities.
Emergency services adapt, learn and evolve since 9/11: A Q&A with Richard Serino
By and • Sep 11, 2026 Former FEMA Deputy Administrator Richard Serino has spent decades in the emergency services sector responding to disasters and public health crises along with mass-casualty incidents. In a conversation with Threat Beat, he reflects on 9/11, how that day changed emergency management, and how strong partnerships and technology can prepare the sector for the crises to come. BRIDGET JOHNSON: Take us back and tell me about your 9/11 experience.
Iran hackers after denial of Texas AT&T claim: ‘Idiots don’t even know what we tampered with’
By • Sep 10, 2026 Iranian hackers pushed back after Wednesday’s denial of their claim that they hit AT&T service in major Texas cities on Labor Day, declaring that those rebuffing their claim “don’t even know what we tampered with” or “have access to.” APT IRAN, which threatened at the end of August that “critical events” will hit three U.S. critical infrastructure sectors including telecommunications following the water hacks in Minnesota and elsewhere, claimed in a Tuesday evening post on...
Iran hackers claim Texas AT&T outage, vow to ‘intensify’ attacks before 9/11
Skip to content SPECIAL THREATS TO CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN IRAN CONFLICT | READ MORE → Downtown Dallas (Pixabay) By • Sep 09, 2026 Iranian hackers who recently took credit for an array of attacks on U.S. water systems claimed that they were behind an AT&T outage across major Texas cities on Monday and vowed to “intensify” critical infrastructure attacks in the run-up to Friday’s 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
Iran hackers vow ‘numerous’ U.S. infrastructure attacks in response to strike that hit wedding
Skip to content SPECIAL THREATS TO CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN IRAN CONFLICT | READ MORE → Kuhestak, Iran (Google Maps) By • Sep 03, 2026 Iranian hackers doubled down on recent threats to launch more attacks on U.S. critical infrastructure sectors, vowing that “the American people will face numerous problems” in response to a Tuesday missile strike that hit a wedding in southern Iran.
Iran hackers: Minnesota ‘warning’ ignored, ‘critical events’ to hit 3 U.S. infrastructure sectors
Skip to content SPECIAL THREATS TO CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN IRAN CONFLICT | READ MORE → (Image by Michael Schwarzenberger from Pixabay) By • Aug 31, 2026 Iranian hackers who claimed responsibility for attacks on a swath of municipal water systems across the United States at the end of July warned Sunday that “critical events” will hit three critical infrastructure sectors.
Iran hackers name U.S. states targeted in water attacks, deny responsibility for UK power plant outage
Skip to content SPECIAL THREATS TO CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN IRAN CONFLICT | READ MORE → Columbus Water Works in Columbus, Ga., reported a cyberattack on July 27 targeting its automated monitoring systems, and immediately switched to manual operations to avoid impacts on water quality or service.
Iran hackers launch deep-discount sale on alleged Lockheed Martin data trove
By • Aug 20, 2026 An Iranian group that took responsibility for cyberattacks against Minnesota water systems at the end of July and earlier claimed to have swiped a large amount of sensitive materials from Lockheed Martin announced today that it’s offering “50% to 95% discounts” for the alleged company data. The hackers said they slashed the price for 375TB of data from $374,821,400 to $18,000,000 for a single buyer only.
Pro-Iran hackers claim another Bluesky outage
Skip to content SPECIAL THREATS TO CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN IRAN CONFLICT | READ MORE → (Image by StockSnap from Pixabay) By • Aug 16, 2026 Pro-Iran hackers claimed they attacked Bluesky again, causing an outage today that generated thousands of user reports on Downdetector. As of this posting, only a black screen with a blue butterfly was visible when visiting the social media site.
Pro-Iran hackers claim attack on GitHub
Skip to content SPECIAL THREATS TO CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN IRAN CONFLICT | READ MORE → (Image by Markus Winkler from Pixabay) By • Aug 13, 2026 Pro-Iran hackers claimed to be behind a partial outage on the GitHub code collaboration site Wednesday.
Minnesota water attacks were ‘only to warn,’ Iran hackers claim while taking ‘direct responsibility’
Skip to content SPECIAL THREATS TO CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN IRAN CONFLICT | READ MORE → Water tower in Braham, Minn. (Google Maps) By • Aug 12, 2026 An Iran-linked group took responsibility for cyberattacks that hit Minnesota water systems at the end of July, proclaiming that the hacks on dozens of communities were conducted “only to warn” of their broader capabilities to strike U.S. critical infrastructure.
Iran’s CyberAv3ngers claim ‘attacks on U.S. infrastructure,’ vow more in first statement since Minnesota water hacks
Skip to content SPECIAL THREATS TO CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN IRAN CONFLICT | READ MORE → (City of Plymouth, Minn., photo) By • Jul 31, 2026 An Iran-linked group suspected of hacking dozens of water systems earlier in the week said today that it had attacked infrastructure in the United States — without specifically mentioning the Minnesota incidents — and would be inflicting more attacks if the U.S. continued war with Iran.
‘Tiny ripple’ water system threats from Iranian hackers preceded Minnesota attacks
Skip to content SPECIAL THREATS TO CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN IRAN CONFLICT | READ MORE → Part of an image posted on the X account of Handala on July 26, 2026, claiming that the group had caused an internet outage in Madison, Wis.
Pro-Iran hackers claim Microsoft 365 outage, vow latest attack is ‘only a small part of what is to come’
Skip to content SPECIAL THREATS TO CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN IRAN CONFLICT | READ MORE → (Image by David Yu from Pixabay) By • Jul 24, 2026 Pro-Iran hackers who claimed to have disrupted Microsoft 365 in the early days of the war said Thursday that they came back for another round of “targeting systems managed by the West that are actively used to serve the enemy by processing data and assisting in carrying out attacks.” Reports of problems with Microsoft 365 began climbing at Downdetector...
Pro-Iran hackers claim United Airlines outage
Skip to content SPECIAL THREATS TO CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN IRAN CONFLICT | READ MORE → (Image by Ralf Ruppert from Pixabay) By • Jul 23, 2026 Pro-Iran hackers claimed responsibility for a United Airlines website outage Wednesday night that left users reporting an inability to log in, check in or change flights.
Iran hackers resume threats to hit critical infrastructure with ‘unforgettable lessons’
Skip to content SPECIAL THREATS TO CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN IRAN CONFLICT | READ MORE → (Image by norqin from Pixabay) By • Jul 19, 2026 After an April cessation in kinetic hostilities was announced in the United States’ conflict with Iran, a key state-connected Iranian hacking group similarly dialed back its mounting public threats against critical infrastructure and declared that it had “currently postponed overt confrontation” with the United States per “highest leadership” orders.
With heat dome bearing down on U.S., pro-Iran hackers claim attack on National Weather Service
By • Jun 28, 2026 Pro-Iran hackers who took credit for a nationwide Friday outage of a platform delivering emergency alerts in major U.S. cities said today that they hacked the National Weather Service website. “The National Weather Service webpage is currently experiencing an outage,” the NWS Grand Junction account posted at 12:06 p.m. on X. “As of now, there is no timeline on when it will be restored.
Pro-Iran hackers claim hit on emergency alerts across U.S. cities
Skip to content SPECIAL THREATS TO CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN IRAN CONFLICT | READ MORE → Ads at the Capital One Arena encourage residents to sign up for the AlertDC emergency notification system.
Iran hackers claim breach of California systems in retaliation for hit on water facilities
By • Jun 11, 2026 Iran hackers claimed that they breached California water systems today in retaliation for alleged U.S. strikes that damaged civilian water infrastructure in southern Iran. Iran state broadcaster IRIB said Wednesday that U.S. missiles damaged water facilities that serve residents in Sirik county in Hormozgan province, located on the coast of the Strait of Hormuz.
Hackers say they fed U.S. drone targets to IRGC in response to retaliatory strikes on Iran
By • Jun 09, 2026 Iran hackers said this evening that they are assisting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps with pinpointing drone targets in response to U.S. strikes conducted in retaliation for the earlier downing of a U.S. military helicopter by an Iranian Shahed drone off the coast of Oman. U.S. Central Command said two crew members from a U.S. Army AH-64 Apache were rescued within about two hours of the Monday night hit.
Iran hackers claim hit on Holocaust survivors
By • May 31, 2026 Iran hackers who have struck and threatened various infrastructure sectors today claimed to have “completely breached” the largest Israeli nonprofit providing care and support services to elderly Holocaust survivors.
Sensing ‘renewed outbreak’ of war, Iran hackers vow ‘dozens’ of ‘devastating’ infrastructure attacks ready
By • May 21, 2026 Iranian hackers said today that they have detected “preparations for the renewed outbreak of military conflict in the coming days” and would respond to U.S. and Israeli actions with “devastating” widespread attacks targeting energy and IT infrastructure. President Donald Trump told reporters Wednesday that the latest negotiations between the United States and Iran could “save war,” but “if we don’t get the right answers, it goes very quickly.” “We’re all ready to go.
Pro-Iran hackers claim attack on Spotify as ‘revenge’ for ayatollah’s killing
Skip to content SPECIAL THREATS TO CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN IRAN CONFLICT | READ MORE → (Image by Viralyft from Pixabay) By • May 12, 2026 A pro-Iran hacking group that has claimed a spate of DDoS attacks against American companies since hostilities began with the Islamic Republic said it attacked Spotify today with the intent that “the hand of revenge will reach the killers of Imam Khamenei.” Downdetector reflected thousands of reports of trouble at the audio streaming service, climbing...
Iran hackers claim coordinated cyberattack paved way for strikes on UAE port
By • May 04, 2026 Iranian hackers claimed that today’s strikes on Fujairah oil facilities were part of a coordinated cyber-physical offensive targeting the United Arab Emirates port city. The National, a state-owned English-language UAE newspaper, reported that an Iran drone attack hit the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone, sparking a blaze that injured three Indian citizens.
Pro-Iran hackers claim eBay attack, say ‘rapid fire assaults’ will continue if company doesn’t respond
Skip to content SPECIAL THREATS TO CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN IRAN CONFLICT | READ MORE → (Pixabay image) By • Apr 27, 2026 A pro-Iran hacking group claimed responsibility for an eBay outage that began Sunday and said it will “continue to rapid fire assaults and destroy their backends” if the group’s demands went unanswered.
Pro-Iran hackers claim ‘sophisticated’ attack on Bluesky
By • Apr 18, 2026 A pro-Iran hacking group that has been relentlessly targeting American companies with DDoS attacks claims it disrupted Bluesky with what the social media site called a “sophisticated” attack that “intensified” on Thursday. The Islamic Cyber Resistance in Iraq – 313 Team claimed to be behind a mid-March Microsoft outage and took credit for hitting the X platform at the end of the month.
One Iran hacking group was told to pause ‘overt’ attacks. But for others, the ceasefire is go time
By • Apr 08, 2026 A pause in the conflict between the United States and Iran doesn’t mean that Iranian hackers and their allies in other countries who have been attacking and threatening critical infrastructure will set aside their weapons, as statements released after the diplomatic pact went into effect reflect.
Iranian hackers vow ‘back to the Middle Ages’ water, power, oil attacks if Trump strikes power plants
Skip to content SPECIAL THREATS TO CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN IRAN CONFLICT | READ MORE → Maxwell Air Force Base and Gunter Annex, Alabama, participated in an Energy Resilience Readiness Exercise (ERRE) on October 19, 2023. Electrical power was intentionally cut from the base by the commercial electricity provider, Central Alabama Electric Cooperative, in a meticulously planned, risk-mitigated outage to assess mission readiness.
Threat level for U.S. houses of worship raised to ‘SEVERE’
Skip to content SPECIAL THREATS TO CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN IRAN CONFLICT | READ MORE → The Beth Israel Congregation and the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life buildings in Jackson, Miss., were targeted in a Jan. 10, 2026, arson attack. (Beth Israel Congregation) By • Apr 05, 2026 The level of physical threats posed to houses of worship was elevated to “SEVERE” by the information sharing and analysis organization focused on attacks directed at faith-centered organizations.
Pro-Iran hackers claim to have hit X
By • Mar 31, 2026 The pro-Iran hackers who claimed to be behind a mid-month Microsoft outage took credit this evening for hitting the X platform. According to Downdetector, there was a spike in user reports of problems at the social media site around 4:41 p.m. EST. At 5:03 p.m., the Islamic Cyber Resistance in Iraq – 313 Team posted a Downdetector screenshot on their Telegram showing a spike in reports at 11:44 p.m. (Baghdad is seven hours ahead of the U.S. East Coast).
Pro-Iran hackers claim to have hit X
Skip to content SPECIAL THREATS TO CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN IRAN CONFLICT | READ MORE → (Image by Matteo Baronti from Pixabay) By • Mar 31, 2026 The pro-Iran hackers who claimed to be behind a mid-month Microsoft outage took credit this evening for hitting the X platform. According to Downdetector, there was a spike in user reports of problems at the social media site around 4:41 p.m. EST.
Pro-Iran hackers threaten ‘proportionate response’ if authorities disrupt dark-web sale of alleged Lockheed Martin data
By • Mar 31, 2026 The pro-Iran hacking group that claimed to have stolen a tranche of sensitive materials from Lockheed Martin and posted it for sale in a Russian- and English-language dark web marketplace threatened today that “any government intervention, regardless of its nature, will be met with a proportionate response.” APT IRAN also declared “we have long-term plans for Lockheed” while claiming that a data release could cause “irreparable damage” to the company.
Major Iranian hackers unite, threaten ‘irreparable damages’ to U.S. water systems
Skip to content SPECIAL THREATS TO CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN IRAN CONFLICT | READ MORE → (Image by aidah from Pixabay) By • Mar 27, 2026 A trio of Iranian hacking groups with a track record of critical-infrastructure breaches has vowed to inflict “irreparable damages” on the United States’ water infrastructure if water systems in Iran are threatened, one of the groups said today while announcing their alliance.
Major Iranian hackers unite, threaten ‘irreparable damages’ to U.S. water systems
By • Mar 27, 2026 A trio of Iranian hacking groups with a track record of critical-infrastructure breaches has vowed to inflict “irreparable damages” on the United States’ water infrastructure if water systems in Iran are threatened, one of the groups said today while announcing their alliance.
Iran hackers who hit U.S. medtech firm claim retaliatory breach of FBI
By • Mar 26, 2026 The hacking group that claimed responsibility for the massive wiper attack against medical technology company Stryker declared today that it breached the FBI in retaliation for the Justice Department’s response.
Hackers claim stolen Lockheed Martin data shared with IRGC, threaten defense giant’s engineers
By • Mar 26, 2026 The pro-Iran hacking group that claimed to have swiped a large volume of data from Lockheed Martin hiked their ransom demand even while saying they already shared sensitive information with the IRGC, as the hackers who hit a U.S. med-tech firm said they are now targeting specific Lockheed engineers working in Israel.
UN and law enforcement agencies targeted by pro-Iran hackers
By • Mar 25, 2026 An Iraqi member of a pro-Iran hacking collective claimed to have attacked United Nations and international law enforcement organizations’ websites today.
Pro-Iran hackers demand $400M for alleged Lockheed Martin data
By • Mar 23, 2026 A pro-Iran hacking group that has focused on critical infrastructure targets today demanded “about $400 million” from the United States — “the cost of building four F-35 fighters” — in ransom for what they claimed was a tranche of sensitive information swiped from an American aerospace and defense giant.
Facing ‘velocity problem’ of AI-fueled attacks, federal cyber leaders pursue solutions at speed
By • Mar 17, 2026 WASHINGTON — Federal cyber leaders warned Tuesday that artificial intelligence in the toolbox of bad actors requires urgent adaptation to meet the “scale and speed” of AI-propelled attacks and defend critical networks. “The scale of these attacks and the sophistication are increasing,” National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross said at the McCrary Cyber Summit in Washington.
Pro-Iran hackers claim Microsoft outage, vow to ramp up attacks on U.S. companies
By • Mar 16, 2026 Hackers supporting Iran claimed to be behind today’s Microsoft outage issues while a collective that has urged “epic war” allies to stand as unified “mujahideen” on the cyber front is vowing to target more U.S. companies and conducting fundraising to beef up hackers’ infrastructure.
Cyber ‘mujahideen’ urged to ‘close the gaps’ as ‘double the force’ vowed in response to hit on Iran school
By • Mar 08, 2026 Pro-Iran hackers urged “epic war” allies to stand as unified “mujahideen” as one team decided to withdraw from the coalition and settle into a neutral position due to Iran’s attacks on Kurdish territory and forces.
Critical infrastructure attack claims in Iran cyber war linked to desired physical attacks
By • Mar 08, 2026 Hacking groups supporting Iran claimed new hits against critical infrastructure sectors, with some saying they had manipulated control systems and the earliest attacker of this conflict declaring that details they had swiped about a commercial complex were released to make a physical attack easier.
New White House cyber strategy calls for aggressively confronting adversaries, securing critical systems
By • Mar 07, 2026 The White House released Friday the first national cybersecurity strategy of President Donald Trump’s second term with an outline of six priority areas led by an endorsement of offensive cyber operations as a tool to “detect, confront, and defeat cyber adversaries before they breach our networks and systems.” In four pages of text, “President Trump’s Cyber Strategy for America” lauds “cyber operators and tools” used in operations against Iran and Venezuela as “the best in...
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