Americans vulnerable to cyberattacks, lone wolf threats in wake of Iranian airstrikes: former FBI agent

After U.S. airstrikes connected high-value atomic sites successful Iran, Americans could beryllium susceptible to targeted cyberattacks and violent acts from lone wolves, according to 1 expert. 

Bill Daly is simply a erstwhile FBI investigator who worked to thwart panic attacks and dealt with overseas counterintelligence. He told Fox News Digital that portion hard infrastructure similar obstruction lines and powerfulness plants could beryllium astatine risk, cybersecurity should beryllium a cardinal focus. 

"You besides look astatine things specified arsenic powerfulness plants, utilities, that benignant of infrastructure, wherever if they were capable to enactment a concentrated effort towards a cyberattack, you could diminish the electrical grids, and different kinds of method infrastructure," Daly said. "We cognize they've looked astatine ways to effort to get into our infrastructure, oregon controlling h2o resources oregon h2o systems oregon [the] electrical grid."

Iranian worshippers clasp up their hands arsenic signs of unity with Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during an anti-Israeli rally to condemn Israel's attacks connected Iran, successful downtown Tehran, Iran, connected June 20, 2025.  (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

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He said that if Iranian state-sponsored terrorists are looking to attack, alternatively than conscionable lone wolf terrorists, determination is simply a higher hazard of a blase cyberattack. 

"I deliberation possibly thing to bash with the powerfulness grid mightiness beryllium thing that they could bash – effort to bash – remotely, without sending idiosyncratic here," helium said. 

Americans could beryllium astatine hazard of retaliation aft the Iran strikes, an adept warned. (iStock)

Daly said that imaginable cyberattackers could "overwhelm the net infrastructure" and crook disconnected systems that are captious to Americans' mundane lives. 

However, Daly is besides disquieted that with the open border policies of the Biden administration, determination is nary telling however galore atrocious actors are already successful the United States. 

Iranian worshippers outcry anti-U.S. and anti-Israeli slogans arsenic 1 of them holds a representation of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during an anti-Israeli rally to condemn Israeli attacks connected Iran, aft Tehran's Friday prayers successful Tehran, Iran, connected June 20, 2025.  (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

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"My wide interest astir what's happening present is the information that we have, we're aware, that determination person been respective 100 known radical connected terrorist watchlists … who've travel crossed the borderline since 2021 done 2024, astir a mates hundred," Daly told Fox News Digital.

"And past we have, connected apical of that, we person present astir apt estimated, a cardinal oregon more, easily, gotaways, radical who we can't relationship for who came crossed the border," Daly said. "So the Joe Biden unfastened borders truly gives maine a crushed to beryllium cautious and concerned, due to the fact that we conscionable don't cognize who these radical are. If we stopped virtually hundreds of radical connected panic watchlists, who's to accidental however galore radical person travel crossed who person not been caught?"

Recalling the 9/11 attacks, Daly said that panic cells successful the state could beryllium taking directions from a overseas authorities and waiting for the close infinitesimal to strike. 

Immigrants enactment up astatine a distant U.S. Border Patrol processing halfway aft crossing the U.S.-Mexico borderline connected Dec. 7, 2023 successful Lukeville, Arizona. A surge of immigrants illegally passing done openings chopped by smugglers successful the borderline partition has overwhelmed U.S. migration authorities, causing them to unopen down respective planetary ports of introduction truthful that officers tin assistance process the caller arrivals.  (John Moore/Getty Images)

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Likewise, helium said that lone wolf attackers who are not portion of a peculiar radical could present beryllium galvanized to onslaught randomly. 

"Some radical person been pre-positioned here, who are sent straight done immoderate benignant of authorities sponsor, oregon radical who person been co-opted, who person asked [that] erstwhile they got implicit here, they would proceed to cooperate with them oregon amusement allegiance to Iran," said Daly. 

However, the FBI is perpetually monitoring for some cells and lone wolves alike. 

"Here successful the U.S., determination has been surely a tremendous concentrated effort towards combating coercion since 9/11," Daly said. "Joint coercion task forces astir the country, those are chiefly driven by the FBI, with state, local, and different national agencies participating. 

Kash Patel, manager of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), speaks during a swearing-in ceremonial successful Washington, D.C., US, connected Feb. 21, 2025.  (Will Oliver/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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"You know, they've been perpetually looking astatine imaginable violent acts crossed the board, truthful it's not thing caller we person to ramp up from the get go, right? 

"I judge the FBI is putting a overmuch much concerted effort into monitoring immoderate radical who whitethorn person been connected their radar earlier arsenic being portion of immoderate imaginable violent activity."