What Happened
A cyberattack hit the parliament and One Albania Telecom in Albania last week. Local media reported that the cyberattack targeted the Assembly of the Republic of Albania and One Albania. One Albania is a telecom company with nearly 1.5 million subscribers.
The National Authority for Electronic Certification and Cyber Security (AKCESK) in Albania confirmed the cyberattack. They stated that the attacks came from outside Albania. The hackers tried to interfere with the parliament’s infrastructure and delete data but failed.
The Iran-linked hacker group, Homeland Justice, claimed responsibility for these attacks on their Telegram channel. They also claimed to have attacked Air Albania, the country’s flag carrier airline.
Impact
The cyberattack temporarily halted the Albanian Parliament’s services. However, it did not compromise the data of the system. One Albania Telecom managed the security incident without any service disruptions.
This incident adds to the complexity and geopolitical implications of cyberattacks, underlining the need for strong cybersecurity measures globally.
Response
The country’s tech experts are working to recover the affected systems and analyse the tactics used in the attacks. Two months after a similar cyberattack in July, Albania cut diplomatic ties with Tehran, and the U.S. imposed sanctions on Iran’s primary intelligence agency.
We will not tolerate Iran’s increasingly aggressive cyber activities targeting the United States or our allies and partners.
The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) stated
In September, following another cyberattack, authorities shut down computer control systems at border crossings and airports in Albania. On the other hand, the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied involvement in these attacks.
