Iran-linked Hackers Behind Cyber Attack That Shut Down Power Plant
Iran-linked Hackers Behind Cyber Attack That Shut Down Power Plant 🚨
A small power plant in the UK was shut down during a cyber attack. The Telegraph reported that the attack, which took place last month, was carried out by hackers affiliated with the Iranian regime. The power plant was shut down for four days. For security reasons, neither the government nor the National Cyber Security Centre, which deals with attacks on critical infrastructure, would provide further details about the affected site.
However, this was not an attack on an essential service such as a large power station. The government stated that at no point was there a risk to the UK’s energy system. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) confirmed that the incident affected a small-scale generator and that there was no risk to the wider energy system. The UK’s power network has several smaller gas generators that provide short-term power when needed.
DESNZ has reached out to power companies to advise them about the risk of cyber attacks. Protecting the country’s supplies is a key challenge for the government. They are updating regulations for cyber security and working on a new energy resilience strategy for later this year. Iran has long been regarded as a capable cyber power, and while the Western cyber-security world is braced for attacks from the state or hackers linked to the state due to its conflict with the US this year, there has been little activity so far.