Science and Technology

Al-Arabia – Iran’s nuclear chief on Wednesday dismissed a suggestion that the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi would visit Iran next month but instead invited Grossi to a conference in Tehran in May.Grossi said this week Iran was continuing to enrich uranium well beyond the needs for commercial nuclear use and said he planned to …

iranintl – The hacktivist group Edalat-e Ali has disclosed a major breach in the servers of the Iranian judiciary, boasting access to a vast repository comprising millions of files and a treasure trove of confidential documents. The documents encompass a spectrum of sensitive subjects, ranging from internal deliberations within the National Security Council following the death of Mahsa Amini to efforts …

Iranwire – The Iranian Supreme Council of Cyberspace has criminalized the use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) without a legal license, marking a significant escalation in restrictions on online access within the country, where internet filtering is already prevalent. The purchase and sale of VPNs were previously made illegal in Iran.  The new resolution expands the ban to encompass their …

VOA – Iran unveiled two new air defense systems on Saturday, state media reported, with tensions high in the Middle East amid the war in Gaza. “The Arman anti-ballistic missile system and the Azarakhsh low-altitude air defense system, built by the ministry of defense, were unveiled this morning,” the official IRNA news agency said. The unveiling of the new weapons …

VOA – Iran continues to enrich uranium well beyond the needs for commercial nuclear use despite U.N. pressure to stop it, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said on Monday, adding he wanted to visit Tehran next month for the first time in a year to end the “drifting apart.” Speaking to Reuters after he briefed EU foreign ministers on the subject, …

Iranwire – The United States is offering up to $10 million for information regarding an Iranian hacker alleged to be involved in a “coordinated, multi-year” cyber campaign that targeted more than 12 US companies, as well as the departments of State and the Treasury. From about 2016 through April 2021, Alireza Shafie Nasab “worked for Iran-based Mahak Rayan Afraz, a …

iranintl – A cybersecurity specialist asserts that the Iranian regime will continue facing increasing cyberattacks due to “structural defects” in their cyber defense systems. Amin Sabeti told Iran International that digital security cannot rely solely on slogans and rhetoric, predicting further large-scale cyberattacks against Iranian targets. The latest episode in a long series of cyberattacks in the past few years, …

Iranwire – The United States recently carried out a cyberattack against an Iranian military ship that had been collecting intelligence on cargo vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden and passing that information to Yemen’s Houthi fighters, according to US media reports. Unidentified US officials were quoted as saying that the cyberattack occurred as part of Washington’s …

iranintl – A recent mandate requiring advertising licenses for social media accounts boasting over 5,000 followers in Iran has raised concerns over government control and taxation motives. Abbas Mohammadian, the Islamic guidance ministry’s media and advertisement deputy defended the requirement as a measure to safeguard legal rights and ensure advertising compliance with regulations. However, skepticism persists regarding its broader implications, …

Iranwire – The Albanian cybersecurity authorities have accused a hacker group “sponsored” by the Iranian government of attacking the Balkan country’s Institute of Statistics earlier this month. The institute said on February 1 it had been targeted by a “sophisticated cyberattack” that affected some of its systems. On February 13, the National Authority for Electronic Certification and Cyber Security accused …