Iran Says Repelled a ‘Highly Organized Cyber Attack’

An Iranian minster said Wednesday the Islamic republic had recently thwarted a “highly organiz ed cyber attack” targeting its e-government infrastructure.

The threat “was successfully identified and repelled by the country’s cyber security shield,” said telecommunications minister Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi, according to the ISNA and Mehr news agencies. 

The minister described the attack as “really massive” and “state-sponsored,” according to statements reported by Mehr.

“I can’t disclose any details right now,” he said, adding that he could also not yet disclose which country allegedly attempted the attack. 

But “there will certainly be a report on it later,” he said.

ISNA reported the minister had said authorities were “studying the extent of this cyber attack”. 

In late September, the Iranian energy sector was put “on full alert” to the threat of “physical and cyber” attacks a few days after Tehran denied media reports that its oil installations had been disrupted by a cyber attack. 

The announcement came after Washington, Riyadh, Berlin, London and Paris had blamed Iran for attacks that damaged the Saudi oil sector on September 14, forcing the world’s largest crude exporter to sharply reduce production.

Tehran denied any link to the strikes.

In a report submitted this week to the United Nations Security Council, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said  the UN could not at this stage confirm Iranian involvement in the attack.

An investigation into the attack is continuing and will be submitted to the Security Council when finished, Guterres added.

Related: US, UK: Russian Hackers Hijacked Iranian Malware, Infrastructure