Hackers stole sensitive data from Iran’s atomic energy agency

Iran’s atomic energy agency claims that alleged state-sponsored hackers have compromised its email system.

Iran’s atomic energy agency revealed on Sunday that a nation-state actor had access to a subsidiary’s network and free access to its email system, the Associated Press reports.

The Iranian government has yet to attribute the attack to a specific

The hacker group, which calls itself Black Reward announced the hack of the Atomic Energy Organization on Telegram and shared files of contracts, construction plans, and details about equipment at the Bushehr plant as proof of the intrusion.

“Unlike Westerners, we do not flirt with criminal mullahs,” the group wrote.

Black Reward claims to have breached the Iranian government and exfiltrated sensitive data related to their nuclear programs. On October 21, they gave the Iranian government 24 hours to release political prisoners arrested during recent protests or they will release the documents.

The group announced the leak of 50 gigabytes of sensitive documents, at this time is still unclear if the huge trove of data also contains classified information.

“Iran’s civil nuclear arm said hackers breached the email system used by a company operating the country’s sole nuclear power plant in the southern port city of Bushehr. The agency blamed a “foreign country” for the attack, without elaborating. Iran has previously accused the United States and Israel for cyberattacks that have impaired the country’s infrastructure.” reports the AP.

“These illegal efforts out of desperation are aimed at attracting public attention,” the Atomic Energy Organization said.

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Pierluigi Paganini

(SecurityAffairs – hacking, Iran’s atomic energy agency)