Iranian Social Security Organisation's Website Gets Hacked - Reports

In 2011, Iran's infrastructure and strategic networks were attacked by a computer virus called Stuxnet. It ruined thousands of centrifuges involved in Iran's nuclear programme.

Hackers attacked a website which belongs to the non-governmental Social Security Organisation, the Iranian Labour News Agency reported. The website was down for part of Thursday. 

Iran's Social Security Organisation is a non-governmental body that provides insurance coverage to millions of Iranians, including wage-earners and salaried workers, and also provides voluntary coverage to self-employed people. 

When Iran's government systems were hacked in the previous years, Israel and the United States were blamed. Stuxnet, the virus which infiltrated a nuclear factory in Iran in 2011, is believed to have been developed by the American and Israeli governments. However, neither of these countries has admitted to being behind that attack. 

US-Iran tensions intensified last month after Washington announced new sanctions against Tehran and strengthened its military presence in the Middle East region. Washington described the move as an attempt to respond to a "threat" coming from Iran.Tehran reacted to the US decision by saying that it would partially suspend its commitments under the nuclear deal. It also set a two-month deadline for the five remaining signatories to the agreement, asking them to guarantee the protection of Iranian interests.