Iran’s ICT Ministry said Sun. that individuals involved in the BGP hijacking case that caused a disruption in the international routing system have been referred to relevant security bodies for further investigation. The report published by Iran Communication Regulatory Authority, a subsidiary of ICT Ministry, notes that the temporary BGP hijacking – a redrawing of […]
Iran’s ICT Ministry said Sun. that individuals involved in the BGP hijacking case that caused a disruption in the international routing system have been referred to relevant security bodies for further investigation.
The report published by Iran Communication Regulatory Authority, a subsidiary of ICT Ministry, notes that the temporary BGP hijacking – a redrawing of the internet’s highways – was reported by Telecommunications Company of Iran’s ASN 58224 network at 10:58 on July 30.
The BGP hijacking caused various prefixes that ran through networks in Iran upon a court order for filtering, to be leaked int international networks. The leaked prefixes were over 100, with 10 prefixes belonging to the popular messaging app Telegram, which has been banned in Iran since May. The report says the prefix filtering lasted for only three minutes.
While BGP leaks are extremely common, the hijacked Telegram route prefixes caused some sensitivity, which prompted ICT Minister Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi to order an inquiry into the case.
He said if the mistake is proven, whether deliberate or otherwise, the Telecommunications Company will be heavily fined.
The report, meanwhile, states that investigations into the case have not led to any evidence that would point to any deliberation on the part of the Telecommunications Company. “However, the misconduct by the experts in charge is certain,” says the report.
The report further adds that due to evidence on deletion of some LOG files, and the sensitivity of the case and certain non-technical aspects of it, a number of individuals related to the case have been referred to relevant security bodies for further investigation.
The results of the investigation will be disclosed to the public in the future, the report concludes.
