Iran-linked hackers took U.K. power plant offline for first time, reports say
Summary
Hackers linked to Iran temporarily shut down a small power plant in the United Kingdom in July, marking the first known time Iranian hackers took a UK power facility offline. Around the same time, similar hackers targeted water systems in several U.S. states, causing disruptions by locking operators out and damaging equipment.Key Facts
- The cyberattack on the UK power plant happened in July and lasted four days.
- Iranian-linked hackers also targeted water systems in New Jersey, Minnesota, Georgia, and South Dakota causing pressure loss and flooding.
- The attacks focused on programmable logic controllers (PLCs), computers that control industrial systems like power, water, and manufacturing plants.
- PLCs are used worldwide in many critical systems, including hospitals, chemical plants, elevators, trains, traffic lights, and fire safety.
- Many PLCs were designed decades ago and lack modern cybersecurity protections.
- Hackers used simple methods, such as scanning for exposed devices and exploiting factory default passwords.
- The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre has reported over 200 cyberattacks on UK critical infrastructure in the past year, with about 75% linked to hostile countries including Iran.
- The attacks may be tests preparing for future attempts on more important targets.
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