Iran’s possible impacts here in the CSRA

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – Even with the ceasefire, what’s happening in Iran could have an impact here at home.  
   
A national security expert at Augusta University spoke with me today about what’s at stake in Iran and how the CSRA could be affected.   
  
“I think the more serious implication and what’s likely to affect people in the United States and even in the CSRA are cyber-attacks,” said Dr. Craig Albert – Graduate Director of National Defense Studies at Augusta University.  
 
Dr. Craig Albert says that any cyber-attacks are likely to be non-catastrophic but would cause disruption in daily life and could take a few days to be resolved by the United States Government.   
 
“Overwhelmed different websites that are popular in the United States, maybe even social media sites. They’re called D-Dos attacks. Where they basically emulate 1 billion people on a particular website, and I would shut the website down. So, if you couldn’t access the website or they could deface a website so that you couldn’t access it properly, so some of these might be banking websites,” said Albert. 
 
And if Iran does launch some sort of attack on the U.S.? 
 
 “I don’t think that Iran would do something to the point that President Trump would have to retaliate in an escalatory nature that’s out of his nature. He doesn’t want to do that; President Trump has stated so. So, I think Iran would probably use this as a way to negotiate,” said Albert.  
 
Albert told me that federal, state, and local officials, as well as enforcement, have all met within the past 72 hours. He believes that will put everyone on the same page. 
  
“If anything is in the works, the United States and the local authorities are working to make sure that it’s prevented and stopped. And so, I think citizens of the CSRA should be happy to hear that folks have already taken that into account to prevent anything from happening,” said Albert.  
  
For more information on the Department of Homeland Security’s national terrorism advisory, please visit this link.