2 minutes agoBalkans, unprepared for cyberattacks: Experts' Warning
Periskopi(4 years ago)
(4 years ago)Since March last year, through a long article, BIRN drew attention to the threat of cyber attacks in the Western Balkans, whose countries were described as being unprepared enough for such a situation. “On paper may look like that, but in practice things are quite different” was highlighted in the scripture that began [...]
“On paper may look like that, but in practice things are quite different” highlighted in writing that started with an illustration of the most serious attack of this kind in northern Macedonia: the one against the website of the central election commission in the neighbouring country.
Throughout the Balkans, states like Northern Macedonia have put on paper plans to address the threat of cyber terrorism, but the scale of attacks over the past few years, coupled with the fact that many of them remain unresolved, indicates a serious shortcomings when it comes to putting them into reality, experts say.
Alarmingly, Bosnia and Herzegovina does not even have a comprehensive cyber security strategy at the state level. In Albania's case, it was highlighted that the <x0-seconds of targets lack the necessary means to detect and react to cyber attacks”.
With the increasing number of state companies and bodies developing digital services, we will witness a growing number of attacks in the future”, it was then the warning.
The major threat to Balkan states was considered to represent, in particular, Ransomeware -- a virus that distorts user data and requires reward for their return.
In 2020, hackers targeted the public administration of the northern Serbian town of Novi Sad, blocking a data system and demanding 400,000 euros to return access to information.
“We don't pay the reward,” said then Mayor Milos Vucevic.
I don't even know how to pay, how to justify the cost in the budget. This is not realistic. No one can blackmail Novi Sad,” he said.
But the problem undermines Balkan borders. Finally, the Ansa news agency reported that the Italian tax agency may have dropped prey to a cyberattack by the LockBit group.
Authorities there are investigating whether information has been obtained from it, while reporting that hackers may have stolen 78 gigabibits.
According to Il Sole 24 o'clock, the group has published the news of revenge on a dinner web and has demanded that the site be handed over a reward for five days, otherwise threatening to publish the data.
