Hackers linked to Iran have been blamed for a cyber attack that forced a British power plant to shut down for several days.
The incident affected a small scale energy generator and resulted in the site being shut for four days last month. The government has stressed that the attack did not pose a threat to Britain’s wider energy system.
However, the incident has raised fresh concerns over the threat of cyber attacks linked to hostile states, particularly at a time of heightened tensions between Britain and Iran.
A spokesperson for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said the incident only affected a small generator and that there was never a risk to the wider energy network.
The department said Britain has a highly resilient energy system and that the government works closely with the energy sector to protect critical infrastructure and maintain high security standards.
The National Cyber Security Centre, which is responsible for helping protect Britain’s critical infrastructure from cyber threats, is understood not to have received reports of outages from regulated power station operators.
The attack comes amid growing warnings about the ability of hostile states to target vital British infrastructure through cyber operations.
Earlier this year, National Cyber Security Centre chief executive Richard Horne warned that countries including Iran, Russia and China were increasingly targeting the systems that underpin essential services across the UK.
The Conservatives said the incident demonstrated how warfare was changing and called for Britain to strengthen its domestic energy security.
Shadow energy secretary Claire Coutinho said the world was becoming more dangerous and argued that relying heavily on imported gas and electricity could leave Britain more exposed.
The incident also comes against the backdrop of rising tensions between the UK and Iran.
Britain has permitted the United States to use British bases hosting American aircraft for what the government describes as defensive operations connected to the conflict with Iran. The UK has maintained that it is not participating in offensive US operations.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham was notified last week of a decision to extend the existing agreement with the United States.
Iran has previously warned that military bases used to support attacks against the country could become targets.
Last month, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said that any base used for aggression against Iranian territory would be considered a legitimate target.
The British government responded by saying the UK was ready to defend itself.
Iran has faced accusations for years of carrying out or supporting cyber attacks against foreign governments and infrastructure.
Iranian linked hackers have previously been accused of targeting systems in several countries, while suspected attacks have also been linked to Israeli government websites and other critical infrastructure.
US security agencies have also warned about the threat posed by hackers linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
American authorities previously accused an Iran affiliated hacking group known as CyberAv3ngers of carrying out a campaign against US infrastructure in 2023. The group was alleged to have compromised at least 75 devices across several infrastructure sectors.
The shutdown of a British power generator, even on a relatively small scale, is likely to add to concerns about the growing role cyber attacks could play in conflicts between states and the need to protect Britain’s critical infrastructure from disruption.
Join the Discussion
Have something to say? Join the conversation!
Sign in to share your thoughts and engage with other readers.
Sign In Create AccountNo comments yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this article!