A power plant in the United Kingdom was forced to shut down for at least four days after a cyberattack. While the British government has not disclosed details of the event, the attack is said to have been linked to Iran.
Based on a report by the Telegraph UK, the incident took place last month and is believed to be the most successful cyber attack in recent times.
The report further added that the hacking of the power plant took place at the same time as a series of attacks on US water systems.
As per the BBC and Telegraph, the British government has not disclosed the name of the power plant affected due to security concerns.
However, it is believed that the plant impacted by the cyber attack was relatively small and had no impact on the wider power and energy supply in the UK.
Iran likely behind cyber attack
Iran has long been regarded as a capable cyber power and since the start of the conflict with the US in February, Western cyber-security world has braced for attacks either from the state.
Suspected attacks have also been reported in Germany, Finland, Poland, Belgium and Albania, which have been linked to Iran.
{{/usCountry}}Suspected attacks have also been reported in Germany, Finland, Poland, Belgium and Albania, which have been linked to Iran.
{{/usCountry}}The GCHQ had previously urged businesses to be careful and brace for more such attacks.
“In light of rapidly evolving events in the Middle East, it is critical that all UK organisations remain alert to the potential risk of cyber compromise, particularly those with assets or supply chains that are in areas of regional tensions," Jonathan Ellison, the director for national resilience at the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) said in a memo in March.
In the UK, officials believe that the incident with the power plat was designed to prove that hackers linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Iran could gain access to systems in the UK and close down sensitive infrastructure sites, reported Telegraph.
Iran's attack on US water systems
A series of coordinated cyber attacks from Iran targeted water systems in the United States, which impacted drinking and wastewater treatment facilities across 12 states.
As per reports, the utilities hit states such as Minnesota, Michigan, Georgia, South Dakota and New Jersey.
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The first reports of the attack came from Minnesota on July 26. As per the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the incidents were attributed to "malicious cyber actors."
However, sources close to the US government told media that the threat was likely to have originated from Iran.