Major Cyberattack Against E-Gov’t Infrastructure Repelled
IRAN NEWS NATIONAL DESK
TEHRAN – ICT Minister Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi said yesterday that a major cyberattack against the infrastructures of Iran’s e-government has been successfully repelled.
He broke the news while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a cabinet meeting on Wednesday.
“Recently, a highly organized and state-sponsored cyberattack was carried out against our e-government infrastructures, which was successfully identified and repelled by the country’s cyber security shield,” the ICT minister told reporters.
“The attack was really massive,” he said, adding “I can’t disclose any details right now, but all aspects of the attack have been already discussed and there will be certainly a report on it later.”
“I can’t say the attack was carried out by which country right now,” he said.
Elsewhere, when asked about the possibility of another nationwide internet shutdown with the establishment of ‘national internet’, he said “National internet makes no sense. Internet is a global network, it’s not internal or external. The National Information Network is a different story from a national internet.’
“The National Information Network is being followed up by the ICT ministry in earnest, in accordance with the Leader’s directives, so that we can secure our share in the world,” he added.
“The aim of the National Information Network is to boost the country’s economic growth in the digital economy sector. What is being said about an internet shutdown is a sheer lie,” the minister stressed.
He also said that in order to have a great smart city, we should invest in it.
“Citizens are, of course, an important factor. The development of communication services and the development of cyberspace could raise people’s awareness,” he added.
The Minister noted, “Today, the smart people of Iran are looking forward to receiving smart services via the internet and cyberspace, and now we need to invest in this area as well.”
“The issue of paying attention to citizens and increasing their knowledge is one of the serious issues that is being pursued,” Azari Jahromi added.
Meanwhile yesterday American newspaper New York Times claimed that following recent unrests iin Iran, the details of 15 million Iranian debit cards were published online, exposing the account information of almost one-fifth of Iran’s population.
“This is the largest financial scam in Iran’s history,” conservative Iranian outlet Aftab News reported. “Millions of Iranians are worried to find their names among the list of hacked accounts.”
Iranian information and telecommunications minister Mohammad Jahromi denied the breach was the result of a hack. However, cyber experts told the New York Times the attack was likely carried out by a
The attack revealed a “high technological capability, which is usually at the hand of state intelligence services,” said Boaz Dolev, chief executive officer of cybersecurity company ClearSky.
