In 2010, Iranâ??s atomic program was targeted by the Stuxnet computer worm to slow down uranium enrichment in centrifuges at its Natanz nuclear facility. Earlier this year, the 1000-megawatt Bushehr nuclear power plant was forced offline as well just as it was commencing operation.
Now Iranian officials claim their nationâ??s defense facilities have been the target of more cyber warfare. According to the Mehr News Agency, which reports in Farsi, Arabic, English, German, Turkish and Urdu, in addition to publishing the Tehran Times:
TEHRAN, April 25 (MNA) -- Iran has been targeted by a new computer worm dubbed Stars, the director of Iranâ??s Passive Defense Organization announced on Monday.Fortunately the Iranian experts spotted the computer worm and are still studying the malware, Gholam-Reza Jalali told the Mehr News Agency.
No final result has been achieved yet, he added.
â??[However], certain characteristics about the Stars worm have been identified, including that it is compatible with the [targeted] system,â? Jalali stated.
In November 2010, Iranâ??s Basij paramilitia, controlled by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, established a 1,500 person â??Cyber warriorsâ? unit. Shortly thereafter, in February 2011, the Voice of America website was attacked by pro-Iranian hackers calling themselves the Iranian Cyber Army. Twitter and Google too have experienced electronic intrusions by pro-Iranian or Iran-based hackers.
Cyber warfare between the Iranian government and nations opposed to Tehranâ??s nuclear ambitions and political expansionism seems to be on the upswing. More electronic disruptions are likely on both sides.
