Iran govt s sites to log off to avoid cyber attacks

Iran is reportedly planning to move important ministries and state bodies off the internet by next month in a bid to shield them behind a secure computer wall from disruptive cyber attacks.

Iran's telecommunications minister Reza Taghipour said the step was being taken because sensitive intelligence was vulnerable on the world wide web, which he said was untrustworthy because it was controlled by 'one or two' countries hostile to Iran.

"The establishment of the national intelligence network will create a situation where the precious intelligence of the country won't be accessible to these powers," the Telegraph quoted Taghipour, as saying. He described the move as the first phase of a project to replace the global Internet with a domestic intranet system, which is scheduled to be completed within 18 months.

While Iranian officials have repeatedly spoken about creating their own alternative to the internet, the latest announcement came in the wake of discovery of computer malwares namedStuxnet and Flame.

Both computer viruses are believed to have been developed jointly by the US and Israel. Stuxnet, discovered in 2010, caused extensive damage to Iran's uranium enrichment programme.

Flame, detected this year, was an even more sophisticated virus that is believed to have targeted Iran's oil ministry and main export terminal.