Iranian hackers launched a cyber-attack against the Australian parliament with the intention to harm the Five Eyes Alliance [FVEY], the secret service alliance between five English speaking countries: the US, the UK, Canada, New Zealand and Australia, Maariv reported on Friday.The attack was connected to a technology firm called Mabna Institute, which is related to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, said Charles Yoo, president of the US Security company Resecurity, reported The Sydney Morning Harold.
A similar article connecting the cyber-hack to Iran was also published in The Wall Street Journal.
Australian media reported that the attack "was sophisticated" and that all passwords in parliament computers were changed for safety.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation [ABC] reported that China, not Iran, was a possible suspect of the attack. Citing unnamed sources, The Sydney Morning Harold reported that Iran is an unlikely option, and pointed to China as the reasonable location used by the hackers.
Australian national cyber-security adviser Alastair MacGibbon said that the government had not learned the identity of the hacker, the Harold reported.