It has been difficult for people in Iran to access Internet services, mainly foreign websites and messaging applications such as WhatsApp. according to The New York Times and NBC NewsThis is the government’s decision to limit the country’s Internet to prevent Israeli cyberattacks as conflicts continue to escalate. Iranian spokesman Fatemeh Mohajerani said the government was forced to conduct internet speeds in the country to maintain cyber stability “in view of the enemy’s cyber attacks.” Iran reportedly plans to reduce its internet bandwidth by 80%.
Kentings and Netblocks, a company that tracks global internet connections, told NBC News This Iranian connection was around 5:30 pm Eastern Time on June 17. Iranians have been accessing online services for several days, but due to the fact that their mobile data networks are completely declining in certain parts of the country and the foreign websites they use to access foreign websites are blocked. In addition to blocking WhatsApp, the Iranian government has urged citizens to remove it from their smartphones, accusing it of collecting information to Israel. WhatsApp told AP that it was “concerned that these false reports would be [its] Services that will be blocked when people need services most. ”
Although an Iranian spokesman said the government is blocking and slowing the country’s internet connection to prevent Israeli cyber attacks, it is also difficult for people to warn of warnings about incoming attacks and contact their loved ones in emergencies. And, since maps like Google don’t work properly, people who try to evacuate are also reportedly lost. Iran urges its citizens to use its national internet services or NINs that are still available and allow messaging using government platforms, but people think they are not safe.
It is worth noting that Iran seems to have launched its own cyber attack on Israel. As edge Note, cybersecurity enterprise Radware reports that cyberattacks have surged since Iran’s strike. The company believes they were conducted by Iranian state actors and pro-Iranian hacker groups. Iran has been associated with several cyber attacks in the past, including hackers linked to the country stole information from U.S. voters and sent threatening emails to Democratic voters.
