In an article to be published on Monday, the British Foreign Policy magazine claims that Iranian hackers have become a force to be reckoned with, after Western fears have so far focused solely on Russian hackers.

Groups of Iranian hackers have attacked American sites in cyberspace and managed to gain access last November to a wide range of vital infrastructure, including children's hospitals, according to the magazine.

America, Britain and Australia have issued a joint warning against Iranian cyber-attacks, warning of their growing danger.

Experts at the US FBI, the Australian Cyber Security Center and the UK National Cyber Security Center have concluded that Tehran supports the Advanced Persistent Threat group, funding often given to state-backed hacker groups.

With this year's interest in Russian hackers' "ransomware," the Iranian threat seems surprising.

These groups launch attacks on institutions and infrastructure, and once they control their database, they demand "ransom."

While Iranian "ransomware" attacks are unfamiliar to Americans, according to the magazine, they have become part of daily life in Israel for more than a year, as hackers loyal to Tehran have attacked most sites in Israel's economy.

The magazine also notes that Tehran's successful use of ransomware against Israel has encouraged it to try to use it against the United States recently.