Iran prepared to counter US cyber threats: Lawmaker

An Iranian lawmaker says the country has what it takes to counter US cyber threats against the Islamic Republic’s nuclear facilities.

“Today, the Iranian youth are in such a position that they can respond to any threat with a more serious threat,” said Mohammad-Saleh Jokar, who sits on the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of Iran’s Majlis, in on Friday.

“The US cyber war against Iran has made our country more determined in treading its nuclear path, and more eager to achieve nuclear progress,” the legislator pointed out.

In late 2011, Iran launched a cyber defense headquarters tasked with preventing computer worms from breaking into or stealing data from the country’s maximum-security networks, including nuclear facilities, power plants, data centers and banks.

Last November, Iran developed software that can control the Duqu spyware. The virus, which was discovered on September 1, 2011, is a sophisticated Trojan that acts as a backdoor into a system and facilitates the theft of private intelligence.

Earlier in June 2010, Iranian officials identified another virus called Stuxnet, and averted damage to the country’s industrial sites and resources.

“Cyber war is a blatant violation of international law, and, by issuing the order to launch a cyber attack against our country’s nuclear facilities, American officials once again proved that they do not comply with international law,” Jokar pointed out.