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UN nuclear watchdog confirms data leak

The International Atomic Energy Agency admits an old server had been hacked and details of more than 100 experts investigating Iran's nuclear program were posted online by an Iranian group.
Written by Ellyne Phneah, Contributor

The United Nation's nuclear watchdog, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), says information from one of its servers had been stolen and posted online.

The Associated Press (AP) reported Wednesday that the IAEA revealed one of its servers had been hacked and details of more than 100 experts working for the agency were posted online.

A group called "Parastoo"--Farsi for "swallow" and a common Iranian girl's name--claimed responsibility for posting the names on its Web site three days ago. The group had been known to be critical of Israel's undeclared nuclear weapons program, it noted. 

The IAEA did not state who might have been behind the hacking, though.

Parastoo, in revealing the contact details, had also issued a statement calling on the experts listed to sign a petition for an "open" IAEA investigation into Israel's Dimona reactor.

"We would like to assert that we have evidences [sic] showing there are beyond harmful operations taking place at this site, and the above list [sic] who technically help IAEA could be considered a partner-in-crime should an accident happen there," the group said.

Gill Tudor, a spokesperson from IAEA, said it "deeply regrets this publication of information stolen from an old server". She added the server had been shut down some time ago, and the agency exprts had been worling to eliminate any possible vulnerability in it before it was hacked.

Since then, the IAEA has been doing "everything possible to help ensure no further information is vulnerable", Tudor told AP in her e-mail.

 

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