VP calls for enhanced cybersecurity after banking disruptions
Iran's First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref on Monday called for strengthening the country's cyber defenses, saying that national cybersecurity should be a priority to prevent adversaries from inflicting damage through digital means.
Speaking at a meeting of the strategic headquarters for the development of information and communication technology, Aref stated that "serious measures must be pursued in this area." He emphasized that while Iran maintains a defensive posture in cyberspace, it must also be prepared to launch offensive operations if necessary, according to IRNA.
The remarks came as Iranian authorities worked to restore banking services following a fresh wave of cyberattacks that disrupted card-based systems over the past several days. The disruptions reignited public concern, with local media reporting interruptions in daily financial transactions and delays in the disbursement of state subsidies to some eligible recipients.
On Monday, the CEO of the Informatics Services Corporation (ISC) apologized to customers for the renewed outages affecting Bank Melli and Bank Saderat, and said technical teams were striving to resolve the issues by the end of the day.
Bank Melli Iran moved to reassure its clients, stating in a notice that, "No damage has been done to the principal of deposits, financial information, or customer confidentiality, and all transactions are being conducted in a secure environment with full
support."
Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday that, following the latest incidents, "with the efforts of technical teams, IT specialists, and cybersecurity experts, the problems have been resolved and customers can once again use banking services."
In a statement, the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) confirmed that, in light of the disruptions affecting four major banks, lenders have been authorized to utilize the capacity of other information technology firms, in line with approvals from higher supervisory bodies, to restore service stability as quickly as possible. The central bank added that it "plays no role in selecting service providers," and that such decisions rest with the banks themselves in accordance with relevant
regulations.
A separate cyberattack on June 13 brought down services at four major Iranian banks, though no customer data was compromised, the Banks Coordination Council (BCC) said at the time. The council said 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.
Authorities did not disclose the parties responsible for the attack or specific details about the attack methods.
The cyber incidents occurred against a backdrop of ongoing diplomatic engagement between the United States and Iran, who signed a memorandum of understanding for peace with mediation from countries including Qatar and Pakistan. A US-Israeli coalition launched aggression on Iran on February 28 that was halted by a ceasefire announcement on April 8.