Iran Confirms Cyber Attacks against 2 Government Departments

Iran confirmed cyber attacks on two government departments, but ensured that others have not been targeted.

Iran’s information security agency, MAHER, said in a Wednesday statement that it had issued notices to various government departments demanding them to be prepared for potential cyber attacks.

However, it said that the notices did not mean that addressed government departments had been actually targeted by such attacks.

“The incidence of the major cyber attack was merely related to two government organizations and responsible authorities are dealing with the issue,” said the statement.

The cyber security agency also said that some government departments had independently decided to cut some of their services to carry out technical tests, a move which it said had come only “out of precaution”.

“Though from the view point of MAHER this measure was not deemed necessary,” it said.

Iran’s cyber space has been the target of some high-profile and malicious activities in recent years and the government has blamed them on the United States and the Israeli regime.

Some of those cyber attacks have sought to influence routine but sensitive activities across the Iranian nuclear and energy infrastructure or disrupting the country’s core communication networks.

A large-scale distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack that took place in early February was dealt with swiftly as authorities were able to restore the network to normal within several hours.

The General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces in a statement in August warned that any level of cyber threats against the country will be responded firmly and decisively.

“Armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran do not initiate any conflict in cyberspace as in the physical space. They regard the policy included in this instrument as a framework for their actions in confronting any threat in cyberspace,” the statement said.

“It is clear that the Armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran reserve the right to react to any threat at any level in a firmed and decisive manner if any of the policies included in the present instrument may be violated by any state, group, or any other person or entity supported, controlled or directed by any state,” it added.