cyber-attack Archives - Iran News Daily

A Puppet Called Albania

mahla — Sat, 10 Sep 2022 19:49:48 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – On Wednesday a tiny European country tried to star as hero in the West’s scenario and cut its diplomatic ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran to please the West and enemies of Tehran for enhancing pressure on the Islamic Republic with resorting to false claim of cyberattacks.

Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama on Wednesday announced the decision in a video message, giving Iranian diplomats and embassy staff 24 hours to leave the country. “This extreme response…is fully proportionate to the gravity and risk of the cyberattack that threatened to paralyze public services, erase digital systems, and hack into state records, steal government intranet electronic communication, and stir chaos and insecurity in the country,” he claimed.

The statement cited the United States’ National Security Council and Israeli media outlets’ expeditious welcoming of the Albanian government’s move, saying this “bespeaks existence of a choreographed plan aimed at political atmosphere against the Islamic Republic.”

We all know it well that Albania has turned into a haven for the Iranian terrorist group MKO where the group engineers plots against the Islamic Republic of Iran and therefore such an accusation by this pint-size country is not something strange at least for us Iranians and it is not the first time this tiny state locks horns with Tehran.

Albania took in around 3,000 members of the MKO terrorist group in 2016 at the request of Washington, after the group was disowned by Iraq and snubbed by many European countries. The anti-Iran terrorist group based in Albania has carried out numerous acts of terrorism on Iranian soil since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, killing senior political leaders, clerics and ordinary civilians.

This claim comes at a time when the talks on revival of the nuclear agreement JCPOA are in their final stage and the Zionist regime and the ill-wishers of Iran do not like this agreement to be signed and they pull together all of their force and plots to push the talks towards a failure.

Since Albania is a NATO member its claim against Tehran will involve other NATO members in this dispute, and increases the pressure on Iran while we know that the European Union, Canada, the United States, and Japan had previously listed the MKO as a “terrorist organization”.

In 2012, the group was taken off the U.S. list of terrorist organizations. The EU followed the suit, removing the group from its list of terrorist organizations.

Albanian government as the puppet of the MKO and Zionist regime in a strange and improper action forced the Iranian diplomats to leave Albania and this behavior enraged Tehran. Iran’s Foreign Ministry voiced concern about reports of inappropriate conduct of Albanian authorities toward the Iranian embassy and its staff in the capital, Tirana, saying Albania will be responsible for any acts of violation against the Islamic Republic’s diplomatic mission in the Balkan country.

Nasser Kanaani, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, made the remark after media reports said Albanian police forces had illegally entered the Iranian embassy in Tirana and conducted search operations in the empty diplomatic mission following the severance of ties between the two countries.

Albanian special police forces, wearing masks and helmets and carrying automatic rifles, were said to have violated the compound of Iran’s diplomatic mission after two cars with diplomatic plates had left.

The reports said the Albanian police were inside the diplomatic mission for 30 minutes and searched the building which still flew the Iranian flag.

“If the reports by media outlets are true, this was a behavior contrary to international law and the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Rights,” Kanaani said.

He added that Iran holds the Albanian government accountable for any act of violation targeting its embassy in Tirana.

Under international law, embassies and consulates receive special protection and immunity and are regarded as the territory or “soil” of the sending state.

The trespassing took place a day after Albania, which has for years hosted anti-Iran terrorists in collusion with the US, severed diplomatic ties with Tehran, accusing it of orchestrating a July “cyberattack” against Tirana.

The pint-sized country should know that if Tehran decides to give a proper response it will give and it is better not to mess with Tehran because even big world powers do not dare to mess with Iran and Albania is too weak to lock horns with the Islamic establishment.

The West and especially NATO members are better to stop blame game and confirming Albania’s claim of Iran’s cyberattacks because Iran for years has been itself the victim of cyberattacks and they are better to resort to other pretexts to put Tehran under pressure.

NATO and its allies has become a “safe haven” for the anti-Iranian terrorist organization MKO. NATO and its allies, claiming to fight international terrorism, have turned a blind eye on the fact that a terrorist cult has found a safe haven in NATO member countries, turning them into operational headquarters to launch the widest imaginable spectrum of malicious acts against Iran.

We hope Albania would come to its senses and stop housing the terrorist group MKO and restore diplomatic ties with Tehran because Iran does not like to cut diplomatic ties with other countries but it does not mean that it will bow to any bully under the pretext of cyberattack because such pretexts and assimilations will not affect the strong determination of the Islamic Republic of Iran for fighting for its rights and standing firmly against the bullies of the West and Zionists.

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Cyberattack disrupts fuel distribution in Iran

mahla — Wed, 27 Oct 2021 11:51:19 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – A cyberattack at 11:00 AM local time on Tuesday disrupted fuel distribution in Iran.

The National Center for Cyberspace released a statement on Tuesday afternoon saying that the fuel distribution process will soon go back to normal.

Prior to releasing the statement, Nour News, a website close to the Supreme National Security Council, confirmed that a cyberattack had disrupted the distribution of fuel in Iran’s petrol stations.

“Technicians are trying to resolve the issue,” an informed source at the SNSC said.

According to Fereydoun Hasanvand, head of the Energy Committee at the parliament, Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf himself is pursuing the fuel case.

He rejected rumors in social media regarding an increase in fuel price, saying that the problem will be resolved in the coming hours.

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Iran: Decisive Response Waiting for Cyber Threats

reporter 1222 — Mon, 17 Aug 2020 08:38:55 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – The General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces warned that cyber threats from any state, group, or individual against Iran will be responded to decisively.

The General Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces on Monday issued a statement about the cyberspace international law.

According to the statement, the Iranian Armed Forces believe that the cyberattacks resulting in financial damages or harm to people amount to the use of force.

“If such operations affect the national vital infrastructures, including the defense infrastructures, they would naturally violate the principle of use of force, be it under the ownership of the government or the private sector,” it added.

The statement also emphasized that the Iranian Armed Forces will reserve the right of self-defense if the intensity of a cyberattack on Iran’s vital infrastructures reaches the threshold of a conventionally armed attack.

It added that Iran would never start a conflict in the cyberspace, but warned that any violation of the guidelines and policies mentioned in the statement from any government, group and individual sponsored or directed by any state would allow the Iranian Armed Forces to give a vigorous response to the threats at any level.

In remarks in July, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Tehran reserves the right to resort to the cyberspace or any other means to respond to the cyberattacks launched by foreign governments and regimes.

“Iran reserves the right to take the appropriate and proportional reciprocal action at the appropriate time. We may employ any tool to defend ourselves against the cyberattacks, including the cyberspace or other weaponry. Moreover, we will do our utmost to prove the international responsibility of the country starting or facilitating such attacks, and to make them be held accountable for their illegal measures,” the spokesman said.

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Interpol Warns of Cybercrime Rate amid Pandemic

reporter 1222 — Tue, 04 Aug 2020 12:46:31 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Global police body Interpol warned Monday of an “alarming” rate of cybercrime during the coronavirus pandemic, with criminals taking advantage of people working from home to target major institutions.

An assessment by the Lyon-based organization found a “significant target shift” by criminals from individuals and small businesses to major corporations, governments, and critical infrastructure.

“Cybercriminals are developing and boosting their attacks at an alarming pace, exploiting the fear and uncertainty caused by the unstable social and economic situation created by COVID-19,” said Interpol Secretary General Juergen Stock، AFP reported.

“The increased online dependency for people around the world is also creating new opportunities, with many businesses and individuals not ensuring their cyber defenses are up to date,” he added.

The report said cybercriminals were sending COVID-19 themed phishing emails — which seek to obtain confidential data from users — often impersonating government and health authorities.

Cybercriminals are increasingly using disruptive malware against critical infrastructure and healthcare institutions، it added.

In the first two weeks of April 2020،, there was a rise in ransomware attacks، in which users have to pay money to get their computer to work again.

There was also an increase in the spread of fake news and misinformation which sometimes itself conceals malware، said Interpol.

From January to April، some 907،000 spam messages، 737 incidents related to the malware and 48،000 malicious URLs — all related to COVID-19 were detected by one of Interpol’s private sector partners، it said.

The agency warned the trend was set to continue and a “further increase in cybercrime is highly likely in the near future”.

“Vulnerabilities related to working from home and the potential for increased financial benefit will see cybercriminals continue to ramp up their activities and develop more advanced and sophisticated” methods، it said.

Once a COVID-19 vaccine becomes available، Interpol said، “It is highly probable that there will be another spike in phishing related to these medical products as well as network intrusion and cyberattacks to steal data.”

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Blast in Shahid Rezaei Nuclear Site Rejected

reporter 1222 — Tue, 07 Jul 2020 12:57:55 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – In a statement on Tuesday, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) dismissed the rumors of a blast in Shahid Rezaei nuclear site in the Iranian province of Yazd.

Following the baseless claims made by anti-Revolutionary media on a blast in Shahid Rezaei nuclear site in Ardakan, Yazd province, the AEOI said in a statement that no explosion has taken place in the complex.

The claims made by anti-Revolutionary elements and media out of Iran are along with policies of the terrorist and warmonger Zionist regime and those of the US maximum pressure campaign in a bid to kill hope of the Iranian nation, it added.

It is worth noting that the released satellite images by those media are not of the Shahid Rezaei nuclear site, the AEOI noted.

Last Thursday, around 2:00 o’clock, an incident occurred in an under-construction shed in Natanz Nuclear Facility, as a result of which material damage was caused but there were no casualties. AEOI has announced that necessary arrangements have reportedly been made to rebuild the damaged shed at Natanz nuclear facility and a bigger shed with more advanced equipment is to replace it. AEOI Head Ali Akbar Salehi said on Sunday that the exact cause of Natanz’s incident will be announced soon.

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No Link Between Parchin Gas Explosion, Cyber-Attack: Jalali

reporter 1222 — Sun, 28 Jun 2020 12:47:39 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Head of Iran’s Passive Defense Organization Brigadier General Gholamreza Jalali said that investigations are underway on the explosion of a gas storage facility in Parchin, east of Tehran.

Speaking to reporters on the sideline of a local event in Tehran, he was asked about claims made by the Israeli regime’s officials about the hacking of facilities in Parchin.

“As long as there is no conclusion on the issue, we cannot comment on whether gas facilities’ explosion in Parchin has been caused by the hacking of computer systems,” he said.

“This is because cyber issues are complicated and need analysis, so, as long as this process is not completed, one cannot make a definite statement,” he added.

Images and videos of a massive explosion in east of Tehran went viral around 00:30 am local time on Friday (08:00 p.m. GMT on Thursday). Defense Ministry announced that the explosion was related to a gas storage facility and no one has been injured.

Head of the Defense Ministry’s Public Relations Office, Second Brigadier General Davud Abdi said on Friday that the incident “was caused by a leak in a gas tank in the Parchin area.”

“The incident occurred on a hill which was not a residential area and therefore no one was injured,” he added.

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National Information Network Means Security: Ghalibaf

reporter 1222 — Sun, 21 Jun 2020 11:01:53 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf pointed to the need to boost the National Information Network.

“Our national, social, and moral security is tied to the National Information Network,” said Ghalibaf while speaking at the open session of the Parliament on Sunday attended by Minister of Communications and Information Technology Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi.

“Growth of foreign internet traffic is far more than that of the domestic internet traffic and it needs strategic and modifying policies which is the duty of ICT ministry,” said the speaker.

“We currently see that a simple message between two Iranian citizens first goes outside the country and then returns; this is a serious weakness that needs to be solved,” he added.

Ghalibaf also said that there are other problems regarding messengers and operating systems that should be resolved by the ministry of information.

Elsewhere, he criticized the lack of control and monitoring over social media, calling for introducing policies in this regard.

The National Information Network (NIN) is an independent domestic network that enables Iranians to communicate without reliance on international Internet hubs. NIN offers a new internet system with higher security which officials say would be up to 60 times faster than the best speeds currently available. It is also designed to be more secure to potential cyber-attacks.

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Iran Foils Israeli Cyberattack: Official

reporter 1222 — Tue, 19 May 2020 13:05:15 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – A recent cyberattack carried out by Israeli operatives on computers at Iran’s Shahid Rajaee Port failed to disrupt the activities of the facility, an official said.

As the civil defense units at Shahid Rajaee Port are always on high alert, and due to their timely and effective response to the infiltration attempt, no disruptions were caused to the activities of the facility, the official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said on Tuesday.

Citing the unnamed US and foreign government officials, the Washington Post claimed on Monday that the May 9 disruption of Iranian computers appears to have originated from Israel. The paper quoted an Israeli regime official as boasting that the attack had caused “total disarray” to shipping traffic in the port.

Earlier this month, shipping traffic at Shahid Rajaee Port terminal came to an abrupt halt after computers that regulate the flow of vessels, trucks, and goods all crashed at once. The attack only created brief backups on waterways and roads leading to the facility.

Mohammad Rastad, managing director of the Ports and Maritime Organization of Iran, said the terrorist attack “failed to penetrate the PMO’s systems and was only

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Iran foils 33 million cyber attacks in one year, Iran minister

reporter 1222 — Wed, 30 Oct 2019 05:30:14 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Iranian Minister of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi has warned of a rise in cyber threats in the world, saying Tehran has foiled some 33 million cyber attacks over the past year alone.

Azari Jahromi made the remarks in an address to a ministerial gathering of the Munich Security Conference Core Group Meeting, chaired by the MSC chairman Wolfgang Ischinger, in the Qatari capital of Doha on Tuesday.

He added that cyber threats are currently endangering the security of people and a wide range of services related to their lives.

“Unilateralism and resorting to sanctions constitute threats against international security in the cyber sector,” said the ICT minister, underlining the need for “multilateral mechanisms” as “the solution to cybersecurity problems in the world.”

He noted that Iran, as a victim of cyber attacks, would continue to play an effective role in designing international initiatives aimed at dealing with the scourge.

The Core Group Meeting in Doha brings together 60 to 80 senior political decision-makers, experts, and representatives of international organizations and civil society from the region with counterparts from Germany, Europe and other parts of the world for frank discussions.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Iranian ICT minister held a meeting with the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.

In May, Mohamamd Javad Azari Jahromi said Iran has developed an indigenous firewall securing its sensitive industrial facilities against Stuxnet, a cyber weapon widely believed to be made by the US and Israel and used in the past to target the Islamic Republic’s nuclear energy program.

Iran said in November last year that it has successfully thwarted a wave of cyberattacks apparently staged by Israel to target the country’s communications infrastructure, saying it will certainly follow up on the “hostile” scheme via international mechanisms.

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MPs call for countermeasure to potential US cyberattack

reporter 1222 — Sat, 03 Nov 2018 08:56:40 +0000

136 Iranian lawmakers are pushing for a bill that obliges the Armed Forces to launch a countermeasure in response to a potential US cyber attack on Iran’s vital infrastructures.

“In case of a cyber attack by the United States on the vital infrastructures of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which will cut off service to people and harm the country, the attack will be considered as an act of aggression against the Iranian soil and the Armed Forces must take countermeasures,” reads a one-article bill that was signed by 136 Iranian lawmakers today.

Chairman of the Parliament’s Cyberspace Committee Nasrollah Pezhmanfar said Iran has concerns for a cyber attack by the US that would disrupt the country’s internet.

He said the bill highlights that the cyber attack on Iran’s infrastructures would be regarded as an attack on the Iranian soil, which would require the Armed Forces to defend against the attack and launch a countermeasure in response.

This bill is a warning to the US that Iran will not remain passive in the face of America’s threats, he added.

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