TAMPA, Fla. — Local and federal agencies are on alert as tensions grow in the Middle East, and experts said the conflict could have security impacts here at home — ranging from potential violence to cyberattacks targeting U.S. systems.
WATCH: Federal officials monitor Middle East threats, experts warn of attacks and cyberattacks in the US
The FBI said in an online post that its counterterrorism and intelligence teams are ready to mobilize additional security resources if needed.
FBI personnel are fully engaged on the situation overseas. Last night I instructed our Counterterrorism and intelligence teams to be on high alert and mobilize all assisting security assets needed. Our JTTFs throughout the country are working 24/7, as always, to address and…
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) February 28, 2026
Tampa Bay 28 reporter Annette Gutierrez spoke with former FBI agent Dr. RJ Toledo, who said there are two types of threats to watch for. The first involves organized sleeper cells that could take direction from Iran.
"They'll basically be called upon to sort of awake from their sleeper status, and then carry out an attack that maybe has been pre-planned, or something they can improvise at the last moment," Toledo said.
The second threat involves lone wolf attackers who act on their own — like the mass shooter in Austin, Texas from last week.
"They saw the opportunity to say, well, this is my time to take action, and then they went ahead and did what they did," Toledo said.
Toledo said people need to be aware of their surroundings, especially in areas with high-value targets.
"So, mass gatherings, places where there's gonna be a lot of people around, just be a little bit extra vigilant of your surroundings," Toledo said.
Physical attacks are not the only concern; cybersecurity threats are also a significant risk.
Ron Sanders, who has more than 30 years of experience in cybersecurity and formerly worked with National Intelligence and the Florida Center for Cybersecurity, said Iran was among the four principal cybersecurity enemies.
"It only takes one or two people to wreak havoc in a system," Sanders said.
Sanders said cybersecurity threats from Iran are very real.
"They can shoot out tens and hundreds of thousands of those spear phishing attacks — they only need one person to let them in," Sanders said.
He said self-awareness is the best defense against hackers.
"I'd rather be overprotected than underprotected than find out that I've been hacked," Sanders said.
The key takeaway from experts: remain vigilant, do not trust everything you see online, and report anything that looks suspicious.
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