Cyberattack-hit services at four Iranian banks being restored
Services at four major Iranian banks disrupted by a cyberattack are being gradually restored, Iran’s Informatics Services Corporation (ISC) said on Sunday, after technical measures taken to protect shared banking infrastructure temporarily affected some customer services.
A cyberattack on Saturday brought down services at four major Iranian banks, though no customer data was compromised, the Banks Coordination Council (BCC) said, according to IRNA.
The council said that the attack targeted a shared communications infrastructure used by Bank Melli, Bank Tejarat, Bank Saderat and the Export Development Bank of Iran, prompting technical teams to implement protective measures and temporarily affecting some banking services.
BCC secretary Alireza Qeitasi said continuous monitoring of the relevant systems and infrastructure was underway and that efforts were being made to restore the services required by customers to normal conditions as quickly as possible.
According to the ISC, disruptions affecting Bank Tejarat and Bank Saderat has been dealt with, while the remaining two banks would return to normal operations soon.
“Some services at Bank Melli have also gradually become available, while the Export Development Bank of Iran is providing essential services to customers through in-person branch operations,” Esmaeil Aryani, the ISC public relations director, said.
Aryani added that in-person services at Bank Melli branches had resumed and that the bank’s card system would be activated later on Sunday following technical efforts by staff.
He expressed hope that service disruptions at all four banks would be fully resolved.
Authorities did not disclose the parties responsible for the attack or specific details about the attack methods.
This cyberattack occurred as the United States and Iran were engaged in last-minute negotiations to sign a memorandum of understanding for peace, with mediation from countries such as Qatar and Pakistan.
A US-Israeli coalition launched aggression on the country on February 28 that was halted by a ceasefire announcement on April 8.