A cyberattack took a small UK power facility offline for four days last month, highlighting the growing threat posed by state-backed and independent actors targeting critical infrastructure.
The operation was carried out by hackers linked to Iran’s regime, The Telegraph reported.
- Advertisement -
The incident came as a number of attacks were also directed at water infrastructure in the United States during July, the newspaper said.
The UK government confirmed that a “small-scale energy generator” had been affected, while stressing that the country’s broader energy network was never placed at risk. Officials have not identified the site.
A government spokesperson said: “The UK has a highly resilient energy system. We work closely with the energy sector to protect infrastructure and ensure the highest security standards.
“This story refers to an incident impacting a small-scale energy generator, and at no point was there a risk to the wider energy system.”
The incident was referred to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), the GCHQ agency responsible for helping protect the UK from cyber threats, The Telegraph reported.
The NCSC is understood not to have received reports of power outages connected to the attack.
The centre has previously raised concerns over a sustained pattern of disruptive cyber activity aimed at UK organisations by both state-backed groups and non-state actors.
Earlier this year, NCSC chief Richard Horne said hostile governments, including Iran, were stepping up efforts to target British infrastructure through online attacks.
Liberal Democrats foreign affairs spokesperson Calum Miller said: “Reports that Iran-linked hackers shut down a UK power plant show the threat posed by hostile foreign powers to our national security.
“The Government must urgently strengthen plans to secure our energy infrastructure and protect us from attack.”
