Courtesy: "Guardian, UK", 19 May 2011
UN nuclear watchdog investigates Iran hacking claims
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UN nuclear watchdog investigates Iran hacking claims
International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors say mobile phones and laptops may have been hacked into by Iranians
The UN nuclear agency is investigating reports from its experts that their mobile phones and laptops may have been hacked into by Iranian officials while the equipment was left unattended during inspection tours, diplomats have told the Associated Press.
One of the diplomats said the International Atomic Energy Agency was examining "a range of events, ranging from those where it is certain something has happened to suppositions", all in the first quarter of this year. He said the Vienna-based watchdog was alerted by inspectors reporting "unusual events", suggesting that outsiders had tampered with their electronic equipment.
Two other diplomats in senior positions confirmed the essence of the report but said they had no further information. All three envoys come from IAEA member nations and spoke on condition of anonymity because their information was privileged.
Agency spokeswoman Gill Tudor said the IAEA had no comment on the issue. IAEA inspectors tour various facilities in Iran every other week.
A woman answering the phone of Ali Asghar Soltanieh, Iran's senior envoy to the agency, said Soltanieh "wishes to give no interviews".
An agency official, who also spoke on condition that he not be identified, said strict security measures included inspectors placing their mobile phones in seamless paper envelopes, sealing them and writing across the seal and the envelope to spot any unauthorised opening.
He said inspectors were not allowed to take their phones with them while touring Iran's uranium enrichment facilities and other venues. Laptops were either locked in bags or sealed the same way as phones when they were left unattended by inspectors. The computers were also sometimes left unattended in hotel rooms at the end of a work day, he said.
But another diplomat said the Iranians had found ways to overcome the security measures. He said he had no further details.
Iran has been under IAEA inspections for nearly a decade after revelations that it was running a secret uranium enrichment programme. It has been hit with four rounds of UN security council sanctions over its refusal to halt the activity. Tehran insists it wants only to provide nuclear energy for its rising population and notes that the nuclear non-proliferation treaty allows for enrichment as a source of fuel.
But international concerns have grown over the uranium enrichment programme, which has the potential to make fissile warhead material. Also, Iran refuses to co-operate with UN investigations of suspicions that it ran alleged experiments related to making nuclear weapons.
Low-enriched uranium can be used to fuel a reactor to generate electricity, but if it is further enriched to around 90% purity, it can be used to develop a nuclear warhead.
Olli Heinonen, who stepped down last year as the IAEA's deputy director general in charge of investigating Iran's nuclear programme, said information on the laptops was encrypted – and therefore difficult to decipher. Anyone gaining access to information on phones would find little sensitive material, he said.
Heinonen speculated that any attempt to access such equipment might have been meant to plant spyware to infect the IAEA computer network once the phones or laptops were connected, and siphon off information.
"It's possible if there is tampering that something is planted in the computer and when you work with sensitive data it transmits it or it contaminates other computers with sensitive information – like Stuxnet," he said.
IAEA officials attribute a temporary breakdown of Iran's enrichment programme late last year to the Stuxnet computer worm, and Tehran has acknowledged that Stuxnet affected a limited number of centrifuges – a key component in uranium enrichment – at its main facility in the central city of Natanz. Tehran blames the United States and Israel for creating and planting the malware.
One of the diplomats said the International Atomic Energy Agency was examining "a range of events, ranging from those where it is certain something has happened to suppositions", all in the first quarter of this year. He said the Vienna-based watchdog was alerted by inspectors reporting "unusual events", suggesting that outsiders had tampered with their electronic equipment.
Two other diplomats in senior positions confirmed the essence of the report but said they had no further information. All three envoys come from IAEA member nations and spoke on condition of anonymity because their information was privileged.
Agency spokeswoman Gill Tudor said the IAEA had no comment on the issue. IAEA inspectors tour various facilities in Iran every other week.
A woman answering the phone of Ali Asghar Soltanieh, Iran's senior envoy to the agency, said Soltanieh "wishes to give no interviews".
An agency official, who also spoke on condition that he not be identified, said strict security measures included inspectors placing their mobile phones in seamless paper envelopes, sealing them and writing across the seal and the envelope to spot any unauthorised opening.
He said inspectors were not allowed to take their phones with them while touring Iran's uranium enrichment facilities and other venues. Laptops were either locked in bags or sealed the same way as phones when they were left unattended by inspectors. The computers were also sometimes left unattended in hotel rooms at the end of a work day, he said.
But another diplomat said the Iranians had found ways to overcome the security measures. He said he had no further details.
Iran has been under IAEA inspections for nearly a decade after revelations that it was running a secret uranium enrichment programme. It has been hit with four rounds of UN security council sanctions over its refusal to halt the activity. Tehran insists it wants only to provide nuclear energy for its rising population and notes that the nuclear non-proliferation treaty allows for enrichment as a source of fuel.
But international concerns have grown over the uranium enrichment programme, which has the potential to make fissile warhead material. Also, Iran refuses to co-operate with UN investigations of suspicions that it ran alleged experiments related to making nuclear weapons.
Low-enriched uranium can be used to fuel a reactor to generate electricity, but if it is further enriched to around 90% purity, it can be used to develop a nuclear warhead.
Olli Heinonen, who stepped down last year as the IAEA's deputy director general in charge of investigating Iran's nuclear programme, said information on the laptops was encrypted – and therefore difficult to decipher. Anyone gaining access to information on phones would find little sensitive material, he said.
Heinonen speculated that any attempt to access such equipment might have been meant to plant spyware to infect the IAEA computer network once the phones or laptops were connected, and siphon off information.
"It's possible if there is tampering that something is planted in the computer and when you work with sensitive data it transmits it or it contaminates other computers with sensitive information – like Stuxnet," he said.
IAEA officials attribute a temporary breakdown of Iran's enrichment programme late last year to the Stuxnet computer worm, and Tehran has acknowledged that Stuxnet affected a limited number of centrifuges – a key component in uranium enrichment – at its main facility in the central city of Natanz. Tehran blames the United States and Israel for creating and planting the malware.
....................
Note: The viewpoint expressed in this article is solely that of the writer / news outlet. "FATA Awareness Initiative" Team may not agree with the opinion presented.
....................
We Hope You find the info useful. Keep visiting this blog and remember to leave your feedback / comments / suggestions / requests / corrections.
With Regards,
"FATA Awareness Initiative" Team.
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