Cyberattack in the UK: Hackers linked to Iran shut down a power station for 4 days

Hackers linked to Iran temporarily shut down a power station in the UK for four days, in what is described as a first-of-its-kind incident. The attack occurred in July, and its details have now been revealed. Authorities did not disclose which station was targeted, but the shutdown did not affect the national power supply. The attribution to Iran is based on expert assessments.

Hackers linked to Iran managed to temporarily shut down a power station in the UK for four days, marking what appears to be the first time a Tehran-affiliated entity has succeeded in disabling such a facility in the country. The attack took place in July, but its details have only now been disclosed. UK authorities and industry officials did not reveal which station was attacked, but according to published information, it was a relatively small facility, and its shutdown did not affect the overall power supply in the country. The attribution to Iran-linked actors is currently based on assessments by security experts and sources familiar with the matter. The primary target of the attack was a programmable logic controller (PLC), and the breach exploited default passwords that had not been changed. The UK attack occurred in the same month that hackers linked to Iran allegedly attacked water systems in about 12 US states. Security experts assess that the recent attacks may be feasibility tests ahead of strikes on larger infrastructure.