Iranian Hackers Take Down UK Power Plant in Cyberattack

A British power plant ceased operations for four days following a cyberattack conducted by Iranian-linked hackers, foreign media outlets reported. The intrusion targeted a small-scale energy generator, marking the first known instance of Iranian actors forcing a UK power facility offline.

British authorities confirmed the disruption affected a localized generation facility without threatening the national power grid. The incident coincided with malicious cyber intrusions targeting water facilities across at least seven U.S. states, including New Jersey and Minnesota.

Security investigations indicated that attackers compromised programmable logic controllers, which serve as the central processing units for automated industrial operations. Federal officials noted that hackers utilized basic exploitation techniques, scanning for exposed network equipment and accessing systems using unchanged default passwords.

Following the breach, officials from the U.K. Department for Energy Security and Net Zero briefed energy executives and issued updated cybersecurity guidance to critical infrastructure firms across the country.

"The story refers to an incident impacting a small-scale energy generator," a U.K. government spokesperson told CNBC.

Officials reaffirmed that national security protocols are undergoing active updates to safeguard critical infrastructure against foreign threat actors.

"At no point was there a risk to the wider energy system,” the spokesperson added.

Government ministers emphasized that the nation maintains robust security frameworks designed to shield energy distribution networks from external interference.

"This story refers to an incident impacting a small-scale energy generator, and at no point was there a risk to the wider energy system," the spokesperson told CNBC in a statement.

Energy authorities confirmed ongoing efforts to heighten technical defenses across regional utilities.

"The U.K. has a highly resilient energy system. We work closely with the energy sector to protect infrastructure and ensure the highest security standards," the spokesperson added.