Iran's Growing Cyber Capabilities Pose Danger to German Firms - Federal Intel

Germany's BfV domestic intelligence agency has released an annual report saying that the country is facing a steady increase in cyberattacks that originate from Iran.

German firms and research institutions are under threat of cyberattacks from Iran, the BfV report issued on Tuesday by German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer, reads.

According to the document, the number of malware cyber activities against German entities has been on the rise since 2014 with a number of attacks carried out by Iranian hackers in 2017.

Moreover, the intelligence information suggests that the number of attacks will continue to increase.

The report comes amid US media reports claiming Tehran had laid the groundwork for massive cyberattacks on the United States and its allies around the world. The NDC said, citing an anonymous official that Tehran was planning to target public infrastructure and private companies for denial-of-service attacks, adding that the attacks were not imminent.

Iran’s spokesman to the UN, Alireza Miryousefi, has taken on the claims, adding that Tehran was not going to wage a cyberwar against Washington, blasting the US for using rumors as a pretext to justify its own cyberattacks against Iran.

READ MORE: Iran to Respond Reciprocally If US Tries to Block Its Oil Exports — Tehran

The spike in relations between Iran and the West occurred after the US decision to pull out of the nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) that stipulated the gradual removal of anti-Tehran restrictions in exchange for the maintenance of a peaceful nuclear program. Since then, Washington has partially re-imposed sanctions, and the two countries have taken a more hostile tone in bilateral relations.