UK energy alert issued after Iranian cyber attack on power plant

UK energy providers have been placed on alert following a suspected Iranian cyber attack on a small power plant in July. The attack is believed to have been carried out by a group known as CyberAv3ngers, which is affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and specializes in breaching critical infrastructure.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero stated that the attack affected a small plant and posed no risk to the wider energy system. However, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) issued an alert to energy companies, providing advice on next steps. The UK's Minister for Energy, Michael Shanks, emphasized the government's and industry's commitment to assessing threats and enhancing security measures.

Former MI6 head Richard Moore highlighted that Iran, along with China, Russia, and North Korea, poses a significant cyber threat to the UK. The IRGC's electronic warfare arm, led by Hamid Lashgarian, has been sanctioned by the US, with a $10 million reward offered for information about his activities. CyberAv3ngers targeted programmable logic controllers (PLCs) made by Israeli company Unitronic, which are used across various industries, including water, wastewater, energy, food and beverage, manufacturing, and healthcare.

A Tenable report revealed that the group has repeatedly compromised small water utilities, municipal facilities, and rural energy operators due to their use of remote access tools and exposure of PLCs to the public internet.