The United States must be prepared for the possibility that the Islamic regime may attack telecommunications satellites in space and continue to target critical civilian infrastructure, former White House chief information officer Theresa Payton told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday morning.
Payton, now CEO of the cybersecurity company Fortalice Solutions, spoke only days after the US established the Bureau of Emerging Threats, tasked with safeguarding national security against cyberattacks, the weaponization of space, and other rapidly evolving threats.
Although he acknowledged that Tehran lacks the same level of skill and technology as the US and Israel, Payton cautioned against underestimating the regime, saying she expected Iran to “flex its digital muscles” as it finds itself in an increasingly desperate situation.
Unable to consistently penetrate hardened infrastructure, the regime has increasingly targeted entities disconnected from the conflict, she said. Stryker Corporation, an American medical device company, was among the latest examples.
The company admitted that it was experiencing global outages extending to Ireland following a cyberattack. The Hanadala group claimed responsibility, though the US Justice Department described the incident as part of “psychological operations” run by Iran’s Intelligence Ministry.
Iran seen expanding cyber war to satellites, civilian targets
“The way they got away with what they did with Stryker is they had to have had some coaching, because typically, their capabilities are not as stealthy and sophisticated as what we at least initially know about the Stryker cyber incident,” she assessed.
When asked whether the average American is prepared for Iranian cyber tactics, Payton said she had confidence in Americans’ “book smarts and street smarts,” but warned that busy individuals are more prone to mistakes.
“When I think about cyber operatives who have nefarious intent, they could teach a master class in human behavior,” she said.
“And so when they get to know their target, and they think a little bit about what buttons to press,” she said.
“Iran is known for being fairly effective in social engineering,” she continued. “Now they can use voice cloning… all they have to do is go to LinkedIn… and then start to do their social engineering campaign.”
She advised Americans to adopt verification protocols such as codewords and to remain cautious in emotionally charged situations. “I am very concerned about their ability to social engineer their way into government agencies and to private sector businesses,” she said.
Payton added that Washington may consider public service announcements to better prepare the public.
“There’s enough distance and space where this feels like a war that’s very far away,” she explained, highlighting the fact that Americans are more cautious of potential financial scams than Iranian agents.
When asked about the strength of Iran’s cyber capabilities amid reports of brain drain, Payton said she “wouldn’t rule out” recruitment from China, Russia, and North Korea.
“It could also be that they recruit, and people don’t even know who they’re doing the attack for,” she said. “So I don’t hold it out of the realm of possibility that even if Iran’s cyber capabilities were to be struck, that they would just give up and stop doing it.”
She noted that much of Tehran’s cyber activity does not depend on advanced tools, as social media offers a wide reach at low cost.
“It’s very clear that they’re taking advantage of social media to promote propaganda… everything from deep fakes leveraging AI… those are all on the table,” she said. “We can’t let our guard down… even if they have an immense brain drain.”
Iran’s online activity has also blurred the line between real and false information, she added.
When addressing false reports about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Payton said the fake death of a world leader was not on her “2026 bingo card.”
“I wrote a book called Manipulated… I thought nothing would shock me anymore. I was like, ‘Wow, people really believe this.’ So I believe that because Iran… got a little bit of a charge out of it… I do expect them to be emboldened… and continue to promote and propagate misinformation.”
Such misinformation can radicalize individuals, she warned, encouraging “people to do horrible things in the name of thinking they’re doing the right thing.” She said that the US must prioritize teaching digital citizenship and critical thinking to combat this.
“The long-term consequences are devastating for diplomacy,” Payton said, noting the consequences of radicalization are heightened in the Middle East. “You end up having a view… that becomes generational, and it becomes very hard to undo.”
“I do believe, over time… one of the greatest gifts we can give… is to get access to the internet to people around the world in a way that is safe and secure… so that they have their own way to reach out… and do their own fact finding,” she added. “That’s the only way I believe for true regime change over time.”
Sidestepping whether past administrations could have better prepared the US, Payton welcomed the new bureau as a step forward while noting unanswered questions.
“It’s going to be focused on cybersecurity, critical infrastructure, and disruptive technology,” she said. “Now the question… is disruptive on whose side?”
She warned that technology evolves faster than policy, and if the bureau’s work centers primarily on regulation, it may struggle to keep pace with emerging threats.
