As per the reports shared with ILNA news agency, Ports and Maritime Organization’s systems (PMO) recently faced a failed attempt of cyberattack. Although the cybercriminals were able to gain access to private operating systems installed at the Strait of Hormuz Port, no penetration into the PMO’s network was detected.
A recent cyberattack failed to penetrate the Ports and Maritime Organization’s systems (PMO) and was only able to infiltrate and damage a number of private operating systems at the ports (Shahid Rajaei Port near Bandar Abbas).
The Importance of The Strait of Hormuz
The Strait of Hormuz, located in southern Iran, has strategic importance as 85% of the total import of oil by Asian countries like Japan, India, South Korea, and China, from the Gulf countries is transported through this route.
Blocking or disrupting the operations of such a critical infrastructure like the Port operations in Hormuz, will have devastating monetary losses. However, the port has been a hotbed for various forms of physical attacks and cyberattacks in the past.
The organization is well protected, but still needs to continuously strengthen and update the layers of protection to minimize the risk of a (future) cyberattack.
Last week, the PMO office in the Hormozgan province of southern Iran initially denied the reports of a cyberattack. But, Mohammad Rastad, Managing Director of the Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO), in a statement to ILNA said, “A recent cyberattack failed to penetrate the Ports and Maritime Organization’s systems (PMO) and was only able to infiltrate and damage a number of private operating systems at the ports (Shahid Rajaei Port near Bandar Abbas).”
Although Rastad did not confirm the form or exact extent of damages from the cyberattack, he assured that “the organization is well protected, but still needs to continuously strengthen and update the layers of protection to minimize the risk of a (future) cyberattack.” However, in a press release to the Fars News Agency, Rastaad mentioned the hand of a foreign entity aimed at disrupting the critical operations and trade in the region.
When U.S. Launched Cyberattack Against Iran
Earlier in 2019, the military cyber forces of the U.S. launched a cyberattack against Iranian Military computer systems in response to Iran’s shootdown of $240 million worth U.S. surveillance drone. According to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the drone was taken down when it entered Iran’s airspace near the Kouhmobarak district in the south of Hormuz. The attack was performed with the approval from President Donald Trump and was specifically targeted on the Iranian military computers that used to control their entire missile operations.
