Iran-Linked Hackers Shut UK Power Generator for Four Days, Britain Alerts Energy Chiefs

LONDON, Aug 24: Britain has briefed senior energy industry executives on measures to strengthen the security of critical infrastructure following reports that Iran-linked hackers temporarily shut down a small electricity generator, forcing it offline for four days.

The cyberattack reportedly took place in July and was attributed to hackers linked to Iran by The Telegraph and the Financial Times. The reports prompted the British government to engage energy companies and regulators over potential vulnerabilities in the sector.

Energy Minister Michael Shanks said the government and industry were taking the incident seriously and working with regulators and the National Cyber Security Centre to assess the threat and strengthen protections.

Shanks stressed that the incident did not pose a wider threat to Britain’s electricity system and that there were no power outages.

“There was no threat to the wider grid and nobody lost power,” Shanks said, describing the affected generator as very small compared with a typical power station.

A spokesperson for Britain’s energy department said the country’s electricity network remained highly resilient and there had been no risk to the wider system.

The affected facility was reportedly a small gas-fired “peaker” plant, which can be switched on when additional electricity is required. Such facilities are generally smaller than major power stations and can operate with limited on-site personnel.

The incident has nevertheless raised concerns among British energy officials about the vulnerability of critical infrastructure to state-linked cyber threats. Energy companies have been given guidance on protective measures as authorities continue to assess the incident and broader risks to the sector.

Britain has previously warned of hostile activity linked to Iran. In July, the government formally designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a threat to national security under new state-threat powers, following allegations of Iranian involvement in hostile activities targeting the UK and its allies.

The reported attack comes amid heightened tensions between Britain and Iran and growing concerns internationally about cyberattacks targeting energy, water and other critical infrastructure.

British authorities have not publicly confirmed who was responsible for the power-generator incident, and the Iranian embassy in London had not immediately commented on the reports.