Iran prison hack looked like it was from a Hollywood movie

Computer hacking in real life isn’t how it is usually portrayed in the movies.

That’s largely because in real life, computer hacking is a methodical, automated and often tedious process of probing for security vulnerabilities that would allow a crook to get a digital foot inside the door of an IT network.

And once cyber-crooks do manage to compromise a computer network, this rarely results in blaring klaxons, red flashing lights, blinking warnings of “UNAUTHORISED INTRUSION” and people screaming as they run from desk to desk frantically typing on keyboards in a desperate bid to kick those hackers out.

As we’ve said before, the only time the phrase “I’ve bypassed the firewall and hacked the mainframe” is uttered, it’s in a movie.

The reality is, computer hacking doesn’t really make for good TV.

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But… but… occasionally there is an exception to the rule. There are times when a network intrusion looks very much exactly like Hollywood has told us time and time again that it should look.

The 2021 cyber-intrusion of Iran’s Evin prison is one such time.

At the time of writing, unknown hackers managed to compromise the computer network at Iran’s Evin prison to steal CCTV footage, subsequently releasing that CCTV footage to the public showing inmates there being mistreated by guards.

The footage resulted in a tweet on Tuesday from the head of Iran’s prison organisation, Mahammad Mehdi Has Mohammadi, who apologised for the “unacceptable behaviour” happening within the prison.

But it was leaked CCTV footage showing guards in the prison realising that their network had been infiltrated by hackers that also caught our attention. Footage of the prison’s control room – laptops on a desk and the walls adorned with multiple monitors – showed a guard in visible disbelief as monitors suddenly started flickering on and off before promptly displaying a message from the intruders that hacked the prison network.

Yes, just like in the movies.

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In the video below, watch as a guard can be seen first looking confused as one of the monitors in front of him shows the dreaded “blue screen of death” (which will soon be black, in case you hadn’t heard) soon followed by most of the monitors and laptops flickering black and red before displaying a custom message as the hackers took control of the network.

The message on the screens read –

Evin prison is a stain of shame on Raisi’s black turban and white beard

More guards and prison staff can then be seen looking bewildered, with one even recording the unfolding incident on his phone.

Really the only thing missing was the leading man hysterically typing on a keyboard while muttering something about intruders “hacking the IP address”.