Cyber attacks against communication networks on Iranian offshore oil and gas platforms during the past few weeks have been warded off, according to a state official.
Iranian Offshore Oil Company’s head of information technology, Mohammad Reza Golshani, was quoted by Iran’s Mehr news agency as saying that a cyber attack had targeted the offshore platforms’ information networks.
"This attack was planned by the regime occupying Jerusalem (Israel) and a few other countries," Golshani claimed.
"Currently telephone operations on the platforms and in the areas of Iran’s oil and gas operations in the Persian Gulf are normal and have no problems," Golshani added.
Israeli officials have refused to comment on the allegations and have also threatened military action to deter Iran from nuclear installations, if the West’s sanctions don’t persuade it to shelve its disputed atomic programme.
Iranian infrastructure and communication companies were targeted last week, which led to disruption of internet services across the country. Iran has said it is developing a nuclear programme for civilian energy purposes only.
In 2010 Iran’s uranium enrichment centrifuges were attacked by the Stuxnet computer worm, which the nation suspects to have been planted either by Israel or the US.
In April 2012 a computer virus was detected inside the control systems of Kharg Island, which handles Iran’s crude oil exports; the terminal, however, remained operational. A national internet system is being planned by the Iranian Government to improve cyber security.
