Iran-linked hackers 'shut down' small power plant in UK

A small power facility in the UK was reportedly shut down for four days last month due to a cyberattack attributed to hackers affiliated with the Iranian regime. The incident occurred amid warnings about increasing disruptive cyber activity targeting critical infrastructure by both state and non-state actors.

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The UK has a highly resilient energy system. We work closely with the energy sector to protect infrastructure and ensure the highest security standards.

The UK government acknowledged that a "small-scale energy generator" was impacted. However, officials emphasized that the broader energy system was never at risk. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has briefed energy sector leaders and issued advice to companies in response to the attack. A government spokesperson stated, "The UK has a highly resilient energy system. We work closely with the energy sector to protect infrastructure and ensure the highest security standards."

The attack reportedly coincided with a series of cyber incidents targeting US water infrastructure in July. The incident was reported to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), a branch of GCHQ. However, it is understood that the NCSC did not receive direct reports of outages related to this specific cyberattack.

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Reports that Iran-linked hackers shut down a UK power plant show the threat posed by hostile foreign powers to our national security.

Earlier this year, NCSC chief Richard Horne had warned that hostile states, including Iran, were increasingly targeting the UK's infrastructure through online attacks. Following the reports of the power plant shutdown, Liberal Democrats foreign affairs spokesperson Calum Miller called on the government to urgently strengthen plans to secure the nation's energy infrastructure and protect it from attacks.

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The Government must urgently strengthen plans to secure our energy infrastructure and protect us from attack.