TOI correspondent from London: Hackers allegedly tied to Iran govt shut down a small British energy generator for four days last month, in what is believed to be UK’s first cyberattack targeting an energy facility. The attack came at the same time as a series of cyberattacks on US water infrastructure that affected 12 states.
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It was not a major power station, and there was no threat to Britain’s wider electricity grid or loss of power, energy minister Michael Shanks said. “The generator in question is tiny especially compared to what most of us would class as a ‘power plant/station’,” Shanks said. “That being said, the generator and govt took the incident seriously.”
UK has thousands of small-scale power-generation sites connected to its grid, many of them gas-fired generators that operate for only a few hours each week.
The attack may have been intended as a proof of capability, showing that hackers linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps could penetrate UK energy systems and shut down infrastructure, the Telegraph reported.
National Cyber Security Centre has warned of a growing pattern of disruptive cyber activity by state and non-state actors targeting organisations across UK. It is urging all organisations to review their cybersecurity posture and follow its guidance.
“Our energy sector cybersecurity strategy sets out how we are working to enhance cybersecurity,” Shanks said. “Later in 2026 our wider energy resilience strategy will go further to secure us against a wide range of risks and ensure our resilience for the future.”
