![\"Iranian](\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/08\/Iranian_Regime_Hackers_Suspected_of_Cyber_Intrusions_in_Bahrain.jpg\" "\\"Iranian_Regime_Hackers_Suspected_of_Cyber_Intrusions_in_Bahrain\\"")
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Suspected Iranian hackers infiltrated critical infrastructure and government computers in the Persian Gulf nation of Bahrain within the last month, raising fears among leaders in the region that Tehran is stepping up its cyberattacks amid growing tensions, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The intrusions, according to people familiar with them, rose above the normal level of the Iranian regime’s cyber activity in the region.<\/p>\n
On Monday, hackers broke into the systems of Bahrain\u2019s National Security Agency\u2014the country\u2019s main criminal investigative authority\u2014as well as the Ministry of Interior and the first deputy prime minister\u2019s office, according to one of the people familiar with the matter.<\/p>\n
On July 25, Bahrain authorities identified intrusions into its Electricity and Water Authority. The hackers shut down several systems in what the authorities believed was a test run of the Iranian regime\u2019s capability to disrupt the country, the person said. \u201cThey had command and control of some of the systems,\u201d the person said.<\/p>\n
Around the same time, Aluminum Bahrain\u2014a major employer and one of the world\u2019s biggest smelters\u2014was also hit, the person said. After publication of the Wall Street Journal’s article, an executive of the firm, also known as Alba, said it was \u201cnot a recipient of a cyberattack.\u201d<\/p>\n
Two former U.S. officials familiar with the matter confirmed the cyber breaches in Bahrain, saying that at least three entities had suffered intrusions. One of the former officials said the breaches appeared broadly similar to two hacks in 2012 that knocked Qatar\u2019s natural-gas firm RasGas offline and wiped data from computer hard drives belonging to Saudi Arabia\u2019s Aramco national oil company, a devastating attack that relied on a powerful virus known as Shamoon.<\/p>\n
The Bahrain authorities have been provided intelligence by the U.S. and others suggesting Iran’s regime is behind the attacks, the people familiar with the matter said. Regional leaders in the Gulf\u2014and security officials in the U.S.\u2014believe the Iranian regime has been increasing its malicious cyber activity since tensions ratcheted up over a series of incidents across the Middle East, people familiar with their discussions told the Wall Street Journal.<\/p>\n
It couldn\u2019t be determined how damaging the intrusions in Bahrain have been, or whether the hackers had been expelled from the networks they had compromised.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Suspected Iranian hackers infiltrated critical infrastructure and government computers in the Persian Gulf nation of Bahrain within the last month, raising fears among leaders in the region that Tehran is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":53692,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[178],"class_list":{"0":"post-26558","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-iran-a-world","8":"tag-save"},"yoast_head":"\n