Science and Technology

VOA – A notorious group of hackers tied to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has waged a covert campaign targeting university professors and other experts based in the U.K. and the U.S. in an attempt to steal their sensitive information, according to research by the cybersecurity firm Proofpoint.    The group, known as TA453 and Charming Kitten, has been masquerading …

timesofisrael— Iran on Monday unveiled an Islamic dating application aimed at facilitating “lasting and informed marriage” for its youth, state television reported. Called Hamdam — Farsi for “companion” — the service allows users to “search for and choose their spouse,” the broadcaster said. It is the only state-sanctioned platform of its kind in the Islamic Republic, according to Iran’s cyberspace …

VOA – Iran’s railroad system came under cyberattack Friday, a semi-official news agency reported, with hackers posting fake messages about train delays or cancellations on display boards at stations across the country.   The hackers posted messages such as “long delayed because of cyberattack” or “canceled” on the boards. They also urged passengers to call for information, listing the phone …

Iranwire – The chairman of the Iranian parliament’s Cultural Committee has doubled down on a controversial bill that could see more restrictions imposed on Iranians’ internet access. Speaking at Azad University on Thursday night, Morteza Aghatehrani told those present that he viewed the 130,000 social media posts against the new digital law one day as an act of “sabotage”. He added: “We will …

Iran-HRM – Violation of freedom of expression through control and repression on the Internet is one of the main examples of human rights violations in Iran.  What we will certainly see increase in after the presidency of Ebrahim Raisi, the death commission judge in Iran. New Internet plan, violates freedom of expression The plan to “protect the rights of users …

Al-Monitor – Iran appears to have failed to launch a rocket meant to carry a satellite into orbit, according to satellite imagery and a report citing US officials. Imagery collected by Planet Labs and Maxar show what appeared to be launch preparations June 6 at the Imam Khomeini Spaceport in north-central Iran. The images also appear to show that a …

RFL.RE – Iran’s atomic energy body says the country’s sole nuclear power plant has been temporarily shut down over a “technical fault.”“Following a technical fault at Bushehr power plant, and after a one-day notice to the Energy Ministry, the plant was temporarily shut down and taken off the power grid,” the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran said on its website overnight.The agency added that …

Shabtabnews – At the Weekly IRF Roundtable meeting, the IOPHR representative and Chair of the Iran Action Group presented a report on Death Threats Against IOPHR Members by the Iranian regime. The report states that: “As the tragic comedy of the presidential election in Iran looms, Ayatollah Khamenei and his occupying regime, faced with a nation determined to send a …

Iran-HRM – Internet filtering in Iran has been ramped up ahead of the imminent presidential elections. In the past month, the Iranian authorities have warned social media users and media activists that they would severely deal with those calling for a boycott of the elections. It comes when Iranians are calling for a massive boycott of the elections. On May …

Iranwire – In a “top secret” letter recently leaked on social media, Tehran Justice Department ordered that Instagram, Google Play (Android app store), VPNs and filter-breakers be blocked in Iran. The order was published by Nariman Gharib, a United Kingdom-based activist, on his Twitter account on May 19. It was attributed to Javad Javidnia, a deputy chief of the department. A few …