Iranian hackers target UK universities

Iranian hackers with links to the Tehran government carried out a series of attacks on universities in an attempt to steal secrets, authorities in the UK and US said.

The National Cyber Security Centre assessed with “high confidence” that the Mabna Institute was “almost certainly responsible” for the campaign targeting universities in the UK, US and other western nations.

In the US, the justice department announced charges against nine Iranians and listed them and the Mabna Institute for sanctions. The UK government backed the action taken by Washington and revealed that British universities were among those targeted. Foreign Office minister for cyber Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon said: “We welcome the US indictments.”