Justice Department Indicts Seven Iranians for Campaign of Cyberattacks

Robert M. Lee was quoted in Christian Science Monitor about the implications of the Iranian cyberattack indictments: 

Still, other experts worry that bringing criminal charges against suspected hackers may compel other nations to pursue charges against the US over digital espionage or other activities in cyberspace. "If foreign governments actually take our lead, we would start to see US military and intelligence professionals on [wanted] posters in China, Russia, Iran and other places,” said Robert M. Lee, chief executive of the security firm Dragos Security and a former US Air Force cyber officer. "That is something we should seriously want to avoid."

What's more, said Mr. Lee, the government should be more transparent when it comes to explaining how it pinpointed the individuals named in the indictment. An expert in industrial control systems, Lee doubts the government's claim that Mr. Firoozi, who the government charged for the attack of the Bowman Avenue Dam in Rye, N.Y., penetrated the facility's control systems, allowing him to manipulate water levels at the facility. Lee said the dam did not have those systems in place.