RYAZAN, RUSSIA - JUNE 28, 2017: A young man with a laptop computer against a red background with a projected message related to the Petya ransomware; on 27 June 2017 a variant of the Petya ransomware virus hit computers of companies in Russia, Ukraine, and other countries in a cyber attack. Alexander Ryumin/TASS (Photo by Alexander RyuminTASS via Getty Images)
  • Russia has helped turn Iran into a cyber power and is continuing to provide weapons and training in cyber-warfare
  • Iran is a useful proxy for Russia, providing ways to influence remote arenas without the Russians having to appear involved.