Cyber attacks threaten Southwest Florida amid Middle East conflict

FORT MYERS, Fla. (WINK)— As military operations continue in the Middle East, Southwest Florida faces a growing threat from cyber attacks that are harder to detect than physical violence.

Multiple attacks have occurred across the U.S. since the start of the war against Iran. While physical attacks are visible and easier to protect against, cyber attacks pose a different challenge.

A real-time global cyber attack map shows the constant threat happening worldwide. Jordan Kelly, a cybersecurity expert, said Southwest Florida could easily become a target for Iranian cyber hackers.

"The same types of targets that we always worry about, those in critical infrastructure like health care, energy," Kelly said. "The water facilities, financial services, those are always going to be at risk, and it's going to be really important that everyone in that space is especially vigilant right now, and those are definitely facilities that exist within Southwest Florida."

Even though Iran has suffered significant damage to its infrastructure, cyber attacks could be conducted by any of its proxies around the world. The threat extends beyond government facilities to private businesses.

"Individuals that work at businesses that might be at increased risk of targeting should be aware that we need to have heightened security right now, heightened vigilance, because this threat is real," Kelly said.

Even if the war ended, the cyber threat would remain a constant concern. Kelly emphasized the need for ongoing awareness.

"Cyber Threats aren't going away," Kelly said. "We need to have this vigilance, not just now, but always."

WINK News Security Analyst and retired FBI agent Richard Kolko recommends using multi-factor authentication, downloading all security updates and remaining vigilant to protect against cyber threats.