Experts Doubt Iran’s Claims of being Cyber Attacked

Image: Melanie Gamarra

More than a week after Iran said it had been the victim of another cyber attack by foreign adversaries, computer security experts around the globe are voicing their skepticism about the country’s claims.

After the Stuxnet incident last year, Iran claims it was recently hit with another cyber attack. The Iranian government said it suspected a virus called “stars” being responsible for the attack, but did not share any information on the malware or the damage it might have caused.

McAfee security strategist Toralv Dirro told Reuters he is unsure of what to believe.

“If it is real or a hoax, it is impossible to tell,” he said. “There is a possibility that they are working with some anti-virus company under a nondisclosure agreement for analysis/remediation, something that is not uncommon.”

Even if the “stars” virus was a genuine foreign attack, it could be created to extract information rather than do physical damage.

“It sounds more like cyber espionage than cyber sabotage,” said Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer at F-Secure. “Cyber espionage happens all the time. Cyber sabotage doesn’t.”

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3. Experts Dismiss News of Stuxnet Source Code Sold on Black Market
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5. Iran: Siemens Aided US, Israel Launch Stuxnet Attack