BBC Points Finger at Iran for Cyberattack

[Greg Tito]

BBC Points Finger at Iran for Cyberattack

The BBC's super sleuths noticed a disturbing correlation of events.

On March 1st, some of the BBC's servers were subject to a DDoS attack that prevented many sections of the worldwide service from accessing email. At the same time, the BBC detected attempts to block two satellites from broadcasting BBC Persian TV into Iran. The Director General of the BBC, Mark Thompson, is pretty sure that these two events are related, and probably came from a nation that sounds like a certain Flock of Seagulls song. You know the one. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_Pq0xYr3L4]

"We regard the coincidence of these different attacks as self-evidently suspicious," Thompson is set to say in a speech to the Royal Television Society. "I don't want to go into any more detail about these incidents except to say that we are taking every step we can, as we always do, to ensure that this vital service continues to reach the people who need it."

Thompson will also note the BBC Persia Service had their phone-lines jammed with multiple automatic phone calls on March 1st.

I know that these are heavy allegations that, if true, would mean the so-called cyberarmy [http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/02/23/iran-cyber-army-hits-state-tv-site/] created by the government of Iran to engage in these kind of operations, but I can't help but wonder if those automatic phone calls ordered several dozen pizza pies to be sent to the BBC office.

'Cause that would be a real dick move.

Source: BBC [http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-17365416]

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[Li Mu]

For once Anonymous were not to blame. Anyone know what 'Anonymous' is in Persian?
Google translate throws this out مجهول if you change it to Arabic, but I have no idea how to pronounce it.

 

[Cowabungaa]

A cyber army? It's rather funny to picture Iran having something like this:

Though with Persian accents.

 

[gigastar]

Evidently Iran fears being next in the Arab Uprisings.

They may be able to regulate the internet there, but you got another thing coming if you think you can stop the BBC with meager stuff like that.

 

[vrbtny]

As a traditional British-man, I do believe that nearly everything the BBC says is true.

Actually, that is a fact. Not a opinion.

Well, they are a lot more reliable than most US news outlets.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

It's not likely to be Pizza's, is it?

It'd be Falafels.

 

[Something Amyss]

A cyber army? It's rather funny to picture Iran having something like this:

Though with Persian accents.

Don't be ridiculous. The BBC is reporting it, so they obviously look like this:

 

[imnot]

An army of computer hackers!?

Spoiler

Iran is really starting to rustle my jimmies!

 

[DSQ]

It does seem suspitious that they would happen at the same time, although you called the channel BBC Persian, really? A bit colonial isn't it?

 

[Rooster Cogburn]

As a traditional British-man, I do believe that nearly everything the BBC says is true.

Actually, that is a fact. Not a opinion.

Well, they are a lot more reliable than most US news outlets.

As an American, I strongly agree, even when you don't count the basket cases like Fox News. In addition, it is very refreshing to tune in or turn on BBC World News and just hear some news. Just list what happened in the world today. Simple. To the extent America has global news coverage at all it seems all they do is "analyze" and debate U.S. foreign policy. Your news coverage isn't perfect but there are fucking degrees.

It does seem suspitious that they would happen at the same time, although you called the channel BBC Persian, really? A bit colonial isn't it?

The country is called Iran, but the region is called Persia to this day. Those who are ethnically Persian are Persians as well as Iranians. It gets complicated when regions, nationalities, countries, and governments have different names which overlap and get swapped around. But I don't think it's at all backward in this case, even if "Iran" is now more commonly applied.

EDIT: What I said here is true, but Jamash has the real answer to the question below.

 

[vrbtny]

As a traditional British-man, I do believe that nearly everything the BBC says is true.

Actually, that is a fact. Not a opinion.

Well, they are a lot more reliable than most US news outlets.

As an American, I strongly agree, even when you don't count the basket cases like Fox News. In addition, it is very refreshing to tune in or turn on BBC World News and just hear some news. Just list what happened in the world today. Simple. To the extent America has global news coverage at all it seems all they do is "analyze" and debate U.S. foreign policy. Your news coverage isn't perfect but there are fucking degrees.

I know, it's real nice to have at least one decent news station. The others aren't bad, but most of them are better than what you get. I watch the Daily Show every now and again, and your News Stations are Seriously scary!

 

[Jamash]

It does seem suspitious that they would happen at the same time, although you called the channel BBC Persian, really? A bit colonial isn't it?

It's not colonial at all, it's just what the language is called.

BBC Persian serves all people who speak the Persian language, it's not a reference to the old name for Iran or the region.

It can't be called BBC Iran because it's not affiliated with the country or regime, nor is it restricted to that country's borders. It's an international service for all speakers of the Persian language (in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and the elsewhere in the world).

 

[The Wykydtron]

Didn't something like this happen before? I can't quite remember. I'm sure it was Iran hacks/blocks... Something. Weird.

And is the BBC really that better than what the Americans get? Surely something must present mostly non-biased news over there right? It can't be The Sun levels of bad everywhere can it?

 

[Tiamat666]

Iran launched a coordinated cyber-attack on critical UK public infrastructure? This unprovoked act of cyber aggression displays a new dimension of as before yet unknown macho-style confidence of Irans leadership. Obviously Iran is very close to developing Schwarzeneggian Terminator Cyberdine combat units. We have to bomb Iran before their evil plans materialize or tomorrow there will be a Liquid Police Officer poking his shiny, metal finger into the Queens... eyeball.

U.N. I beseege thee!

 

[Li Mu]

It does seem suspitious that they would happen at the same time, although you called the channel BBC Persian, really? A bit colonial isn't it?

Oh my, you're not one of those ultra-leftists who believe that we should all violently beat ourselves daily because the UK once had an empire? As has been mentioned already, Persia is a language type and the Persian region was around long before Britain had anything to do in the area.

I hope you also know that Persia had their own Empire at one time. As did the Dutch, the Greeks, the Romans, the Chinese, the Japanese, the French, the Germans, the Spanish, the Portuguese, the Russians, the Mongolians, the Egyptians, the Americans...
So in short, a country which once had an Empire 100 years ago and now has a TV station in a region and decide to name that station after the regional language is hardly being colonial.

 

[Gilhelmi]

Soon, the world will once again be plunged into the depths of war. I do not believe that even US soil will be spared the rivers of blood. How sad, history repeating itself again and again.

Well, that is more then enough Prophesying for one day.

Keep your eyes sharp, and your heads down.

 

[Greg Tito]

Iran spends a whole bunch of money on IT staff so they can suppress their population's access to the web. DDoSing doesn't seem like them, but who knows... it's not outside the realm of possibility.

EDIT: Sorry, I just wanted to add... but why? Why would they do that??

 

[Thyunda]

How does Iran sound anything like 'I ran'? That's just bad pronunciation. It's not an iPod you know.

 

[Seljek]

DDoS attacks are so amature-ish. Maybe Iran is just jealous that the West was able to develop Stuxnet and needed to repair their ego.

For those of you how don't know what Stuxnet is...http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7400904n&tag=contentBody;storyMediaBox