Iran blocks cyberattack on oil ministry

Tehran: Iran says it has successfully blocked a cyberattack on a computer network for its oil sector.

A government agency in charge of fighting sabotage said on Saturday in its website, paydarymelli.ir, that the attack hit the networks of the Oil Ministry and the National Iranian Oil Company on Friday.

The website said experts were able to block the cyberattack and that the hackers were unable to get access to classified information due to its security system. Iran periodically reports the discovery of viruses and other malicious programmes in government, nuclear, oil and industrial networks, blaming Israel and the United States. In May, Iran shut down part of its oil facilities because of another such cyberattack.

Israel has done little to deflect suspicion that it uses viruses against Iran.