Bahrain’s Bapco hit by Iranian data wiper malware attack: Report
January 12, 2020, 12:17 pm

Bahrain’s Bapco hit by Iranian data wiper malware attack: Report

The Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco) was recently attacked by suspected Iranian state-sponsored hackers who planted malware in the company’s network designed to delete data from infected computers, accordin to a report seen by local media.

According to a report from Bahrain’s Gulf Daily News on Friday, the attack on the company’s data took place last week via suspected Iranian hackers the data-wiping malware called “Dustman.”

A technical report seen by business technology news website ZDNet said the attack did not last long, and that the hackers may have targeted a limited number of computers at Bapco.

“Bapco’s operations and supplies to the local and international market did not face any interruption, and business continued as usual without any impact,” the spokesman,” told Bahraini daily Akhbar al-Khaleej.

According to AFP, Iranian hackers working to penetrate systems, businesses, and governments around the world have caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damages.

Last summer, hackers believed to be working for the Iranian government targeted US government agencies, as well as sectors of the economy, including oil and gas, sending waves of spear-phishing emails, representatives of cybersecurity companies CrowdStrike and FireEye, which regularly track such activity, told the Associated Press.

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”