Iranian-linked hackers reportedly shut down a small UK power plant for four days last month, prompting government warnings to energy companies

A cyber attack, reported by the Daily Telegraph to have been carried out by hackers affiliated to the Iranian regime, shut down a small UK power plant for four days last month. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) confirmed the incident but said the affected site was a small-scale generator and that at no point was the wider UK energy system at risk. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), which handles attacks on critical national infrastructure, declined to identify the site affected. DESNZ contacted power companies following the incident to advise on the risk of cyber attacks. The government noted it is updating its regulations for cyber security in the energy sector and is working on a new energy resilience strategy expected later this year. The UK's power network includes a number of smaller gas generators that provide short-term balancing capacity, and it is from this class of asset that the targeted plant appears to come. Iran has long been assessed as a capable cyber power, and the Western security community has been on alert for state-linked attacks following the escalation of US-Iran tensions this year, though the BBC noted that overt activity has so far been limited.