National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company

The National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company (NIOPDC) manages the nationwide distribution network for petroleum products across Iran. Its core function involves operating and maintaining a vast infrastructure of gas stations, ensuring the supply and delivery of fuel to consumers throughout the country. This includes administering systems for subsidized fuel distribution, utilizing government-issued cards that grant citizens access to fuel at controlled prices. NIOPDC's operations are critical infrastructure, directly impacting daily life and transportation for the Iranian public.

A significant cyberattack on October 26, 2021, severely disrupted NIOPDC's nationwide network. This incident caused widespread outages at gas stations, leaving many customers without fuel and creating long queues of stranded motorists. The attack specifically targeted the subsidized fuel distribution systems, causing payment devices to display a 'cyberattack 64411' error when customers attempted to use their government-issued cards. This disruption led to significant operational paralysis, with stations remaining non-functional for extended periods. Secondary compromises resulted in digital billboards at stations displaying protest messages demanding accountability for the fuel shortages. Iranian authorities confirmed the cyberattack and attributed it to state-sponsored actors, although they did not publicly identify a specific nation responsible for the incident. The attack highlighted NIOPDC's essential role and the vulnerability of critical national fuel infrastructure.