Iranian hackers disabled an energy facility in the United Kingdom for the first time
Kyiv • UNN
An Iran-linked group disabled a British energy facility for four days for the first time. The country's overall energy supply was not affected.
Iranian hackers carried out a cyberattack on a small energy facility in the United Kingdom, which managed to halt its operations for four days, The Telegraph writes, reports UNN.
Details
The attack was the first known case in which an Iran-linked hacking group managed to effectively disable a British energy facility. The facility’s employees spent four days trying to restore its operations.
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British officials did not disclose the name or location of the facility, citing national security concerns. In some reports, it was called a power plant, but a government spokesperson clarified that it was a small power-generating facility that is not part of critical infrastructure.
The attack did not affect Britain’s energy supply
According to the British government, the incident did not affect the country’s overall energy supply and did not cause disruptions to the operation of the British power system. At the same time, the successful interference with the operation of an energy facility itself raised concerns about the ability of Iranian hackers to attack industrial systems.
The cyberattack in the United Kingdom took place around the same period when attacks on water infrastructure in 12 U.S. states were recorded. U.S. agencies had previously warned of activity by Iran-linked hackers targeting water utilities and other infrastructure facilities.
In March, the United Kingdom’s National Cyber Security Centre warned organizations in the country of the need to prepare for possible attacks by Iranian hacktivists. The agency said that such attacks could cause collateral effects on the operation of British infrastructure.