A report by England’s Sky News reveals secret research by Iran on how to sink cargo ships around the world, target fuel pumps at gas stations, and shut down smart buildings in the United States, England and Europe.
Sky News received the 57-page document that explained how and why Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps cyber attack team would target future attacks. The Iranian report that targets smart buildings has a November 19, 2020 date on it. It states the Iranian intent to target building management systems – the computer technology that controls things like lighting, heating and ventilation in smart buildings. It lists a number of American and European-based companies that make smart controls.
The document states, “The Islamic Republic of Iran must be one of the most powerful in the world in the cyber field.”
Cyber security firm FireEye told Sky News that it read the Iranian documents, and believes the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is focusing on “simple, opportunistic attacks” of smart buildings. “They discussed the possible physical impact of cyber operations targeting critical civilian infrastructure and the feasibility of carrying out such an attack, while examining the percentage of internet-accessible devices that could be potential targets,” FireEye told Sky News.
A 2019 report by cybersecurity firm Kaspersky found nearly 38% of buildings that use automation systems to control lighting or HVAC were attacked by a cyber threat during a six-month period. The report says the attacks were considered a “disruption” and did not create long-term damage or impact.
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