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Matt Burgess@WIRED
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The Iranian government has admitted to shutting down internet access across the country, citing the need to protect against ongoing Israeli cyberattacks. This drastic measure, implemented in the midst of escalating tensions and kinetic conflict between the two nations, has resulted in a near-total national internet blackout, severely limiting Iranians' access to vital information and their ability to communicate with loved ones both within and outside the country. The government's spokesperson, Fatemeh Mohajerani, stated that the decision was made due to witnessing cyberattacks on critical infrastructure and disruptions in banking systems, also referencing recent hacks on Bank Sepah and the Nobitex cryptocurrency exchange.
The internet shutdown, described as the "worst" in the history of Iran's internet control, began on June 18th and continued into the next day, with monitoring firm NetBlocks reporting a connectivity drop of over 97%. Doug Madory, director of internet analysis at Kentik, noted a 54% drop in connectivity on June 13th, followed by another 49% on June 17th, and a further 90% decrease on Wednesday. This unprecedented defensive maneuver, described as Iran National Internet Infrastructure Throttling: Cyber Defense Strategy to Prevent Attacks Amid Regional Conflict, reflects an attempt to establish a digital choke point and stymie the propagation of rapidly executed cyber intrusions, such as DDoS attacks and malware spread.
The cyber conflict between Israel and Iran has intensified, with a group called Predatory Sparrow claiming responsibility for attacks on Iranian institutions. These attacks included major outages at Bank Sepah and the draining of over $90 million in cryptocurrency from Nobitex. Additionally, reports emerged of Predatory Sparrow infiltrating Iran's state broadcast systems to display protest imagery and anti-regime messages. The internet restrictions are pushing Iranian citizens toward domestic apps, which may not be secure, adding to the dangers faced by civilians amid Israeli bombings and creating a cybersecurity watershed moment with potential global implications.
ImgSrc: media.wired.com
References :
The internet shutdown, described as the "worst" in the history of Iran's internet control, began on June 18th and continued into the next day, with monitoring firm NetBlocks reporting a connectivity drop of over 97%. Doug Madory, director of internet analysis at Kentik, noted a 54% drop in connectivity on June 13th, followed by another 49% on June 17th, and a further 90% decrease on Wednesday. This unprecedented defensive maneuver, described as Iran National Internet Infrastructure Throttling: Cyber Defense Strategy to Prevent Attacks Amid Regional Conflict, reflects an attempt to establish a digital choke point and stymie the propagation of rapidly executed cyber intrusions, such as DDoS attacks and malware spread.
The cyber conflict between Israel and Iran has intensified, with a group called Predatory Sparrow claiming responsibility for attacks on Iranian institutions. These attacks included major outages at Bank Sepah and the draining of over $90 million in cryptocurrency from Nobitex. Additionally, reports emerged of Predatory Sparrow infiltrating Iran's state broadcast systems to display protest imagery and anti-regime messages. The internet restrictions are pushing Iranian citizens toward domestic apps, which may not be secure, adding to the dangers faced by civilians amid Israeli bombings and creating a cybersecurity watershed moment with potential global implications.
ImgSrc: media.wired.com
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References :
- techcrunch.com: NEW: Iran's government has now admitted that it took down the internet in the country, arguing that it did to protect against Israeli cyberattacks.
- WIRED: Iran’s Internet Blackout Adds New Dangers for Civilians Amid Israeli Bombings | WIRED
- Rescana: Iran National Internet Infrastructure Throttling: Cyber Defense Strategy to Prevent Attacks Amid Regional Conflict
- SecureWorld News: As kinetic conflict continues to unfold between Israel and Iran, a parallel battle is raging in cyberspace—one that is disrupting financial systems, wiping out crypto holdings, hijacking broadcast channels, and even triggering a near-total internet shutdown.
- infosec.exchange: NEW: Iran's government has now admitted that it took down the internet in the country, arguing that it did to protect against Israeli cyberattacks.
- techcrunch.com: Iran’s government says it shut down internet to protect against cyberattacks The government cited the recent hacks on Bank Sepah and cryptocurrency exchange Nobite as reasons to shut down internet access to virtually all Iranians.
- securityaffairs.com: Iran experienced a near-total internet blackout on Wednesday as tensions with Israel escalated into the first week of conflict.