Hackers Attack Iranian Fuel Infrastructure

Uploaded on 2023-12-28 in INTELLIGENCE-Hot Spots-Iran, FREE TO VIEW, BUSINESS-Production-Energy

A hacking group“Predatory Sparrow” that has been linked to Israel recently took down gas stations across Iran in a cyber attack just before Christmas, As many as 70% of Iran’s gas stations were inoperable, causing widepsread disruptio.

Iran’s Minister of Fuel Javad Owji has confirmed the attack had taken place and he said that the reason for the fuel disruptions was the result of a cyber attack by Israel and the US. Since this announcement, the Israeli threat group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Iranian state TV reported that as many as 70% of the country’s petrol stations had been disrupted in the incident, which is the second time that Predatory Sparrow has disrupted fuel supplies in Iran. The group posted on its Twitter X account: “We, Gonjeshke Darande (Predatory Sparrow), carried out another cyber attack today, taking out a majority of the gas pumps throughout Iran. This cyber attack comes in response to the aggression of the Islamic Republic and its proxies in the region.”

Predatory Sparrow took to social media to threaten Iran’s head of state, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warning him that there is a price for playing with fire. “A month ago, we warned you that we’re back and that we will impose cost for your provocations. This is just a taste of what we have in store,” the group added and attached screenshots of documents they claimed to have acquired from the servers of the affected gas stations.

Predatory Sparrow also posted in an attempt to emphasise its efforts to minimise harming ordinary civilians, saying: “As in our previous operations, this cyberattack was conducted in a controlled manner while taking measures to limit potential damage to emergency services... We delivered warnings to emergency services across the country before the operation began, and ensured a portion of the gas stations across the country were left unharmed for the same reason, despite our access and capability to disrupt their operation completely,”

This is not the first time that this cyber gang has claimed responsibility for a cyber attack in Iran, as a major steel factory in Iran was harmed by a cyberattack in 2022, which caused a serious fire.

During that attack, Predatory Sparrow released “top secret documents” that provided “evidence of these companies’ affiliation with the IRGC.” It also emphasised that it took measures to avoid harming civilians.
The cyber group wrote on its Telegram at the time of the attack: “These companies are subject to international sanctions and continue their operations despite the restrictions. These cyber-attacks are being carried out carefully to protect innocent individuals.”

While the group failed to disrupt operations and halt medical treatment, the intruders did steal private data from the hospital's systems, according to the Israeli government.

@GonjeshkeDarand: I-HLS: Times Of Israel: Security Affairs: Cyberscoop: The Register: Telegraph:

You Might Also Read:

Cyber Attacks On Israel Expand:

___________________________________________________________________________________________

If you like this website and use the comprehensive 6,500-plus service supplier Directory, you can get unrestricted access, including the exclusive in-depth Directors Report series, by signing up for a Premium Subscription.