Iran thwarted massive cyber attacks that planned to target the infrastructure of more than 100 public sector agencies and shut down the country

Through a recent investigation, representatives of Iran state TV mentioned that the country’s security teams managed to disrupt a series of cyberattacks that appeared to be aimed at massive disruption of utility systems, government agencies and private companies.

Issued over the weekend, the statement notes that the Iranian government managed to contain this malicious campaign in which the attack on more than 100 public and private computer systems was planned. Although the message does not specify the type of attack detected or the name of some affected organizations, it is assured that the incident occurred over the last week.

In addition, it was reported that the identified parties behind the attacks would have used IP addresses linked to territories such as the Netherlands, Great Britain and the United States.

Iran occasionally announces cyberattacks targeting the Islamic Republic as world powers struggle to revive an already forgotten nuclear deal with Iranian government.

A few months ago, a security incident at Iran’s fuel distribution system paralyzed gas stations across the country, prompting long lines of motorists angry at the inability to get subsidized fuel for days; soon after, a cyberattack on Tehran’s railway lines caused unusual chaos on Iranian territory.

Faced with this situation, Iran decided to disconnect much of its government infrastructure from the Internet, especially after the Stuxnet malware (allegedly developed by the US and Israeli governments) severely disrupted some critical infrastructure deployments.

To learn more about information security risks, malware variants, vulnerabilities and information technologies, feel free to access the International Institute of Cyber Security (IICS) websites.