Iran Bans Foreign Email For Some Industries

Iranian banks, insurance firms and telephone operators are to be limited to using Iran-based providers for their web and email services, according to a report.

The move by Iran’s telecommunications ministry bars banks, insurance and telecommunications firms from using foreign companies such as Yahoo, Google or Microsoft to host their web or email services, according to AFP. It restricts them to using addresses within Iran’s own .ir domain, the report said, citing an Iranian technical journal.

Iranian domains only

“The telecommunications minister has ordered the use of domain names ending with .ir,” read an article in Asr Ertebatat on Saturday, according to AFP.

The restrictions extend to customers, who must use Iranian email addresses ending with iran.ir, post.ir or chmail.ir to communicate with companies.

Iranian government bodies are to be restricted to email addresses ending in gov.ir or.ir, while universities will reportedly be required to use ac.ir or .ir addresses.

Iran’s government has been progressively instituting more controls on Internet usage, and has announced plans for a “national Internet”, comparable to an office intranet, that will introduce additional restrictions.

The network is intended to secure the country’s communications infrastructure by ensuring its independence from foreign operators, Iran’s government has said.

Iran has attracted international criticism for its Internet restrictions, including blocking sites using the HTTPS secure protocol – such as major banks, Gmail, Facebook and others – in February, ahead of the 33rd anniversary of the country’s revolution.

Cyber attacks

Later in February the government blocked encrypted websites using the SSL (secure sockets layer) protocol.

Iran has itself been subjected to cyber attacks, including the Stuxnet worm, which targeted the country’s uranium enrichment centrifuges in 2010.

Stuxnet appeared to have been developed by US and Israeli researchers, security expert Ralph Langner told a conference in March of last year.

In November the Iranian government said its computer systems had been targeted by the Duqu worm, as well as a keylogger called Stars.

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