Report: Iran disabled a power station in the UK in a cyberattack

Iranian hackers managed to disable a British power station for four days in an unusual cyberattack, reported the British newspaper "The Telegraph". This is the first time that hackers identified with the Iranian regime have managed to disable a facility of this type in the UK, and the attack is considered one of the most successful of its kind.

According to "The Telegraph", the incident occurred in parallel with a series of cyberattacks against water infrastructure in the USA last month, which affected 12 states and raised concern in the White House.

British officials refused to disclose the identity of the power station that was hit. The station was disabled for four days while its employees worked to restore it to operation.

However, it is a relatively small facility, and the shutdown did not affect the broad electricity supply in the UK or the country's energy production capacity.

Following the incident, the British government briefed the CEOs of energy companies in the country and sent businesses guidelines regarding the steps to be taken.

The incident was reported to the NCSC, the British National Cyber Security Centre, a body operating under the British intelligence agency GCHQ that provides guidelines to organizations regarding the protection of national infrastructure against foreign threats.

British and American intelligence services have warned in recent years about the risk posed by hacker groups from Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea, which operate against critical infrastructure and government bodies.

Attacks against infrastructure in the West

There are dozens of small power stations in the UK connected to the electricity grid. Many of them are gas-powered and are used only for a few hours a week, for example during periods when additional electricity generation is required.

Disabling such a facility for four days is not expected to affect the national electricity grid, and some factories and institutions such as hospitals also have independent generators.

At the same time, cyberattacks against water facilities in the USA hit dozens of wastewater treatment plants, caused flooding and a drop in water pressure, and in some cases led authorities to recommend that residents boil water before drinking.

According to "The Telegraph", the FBI attributed the attacks to "malicious cyber actors", and subsequently, officials in the American administration estimated that the source of the threat was likely in Iran.

The report notes that Iran has increased its cyber activity against Western countries since the escalation in the Middle East. Cyberattacks attributed to Iran have been reported in countries such as Germany, Poland, Finland, Belgium, and Albania, while Israel and other countries in the Middle East are considered key targets.

A British government spokesperson told the Telegraph: "The UK has a very resilient energy system. We are working in cooperation with the energy sector to protect infrastructure and ensure the highest levels of security. The incident in question affected a small energy facility, and at no stage was there a danger to the wider energy system".