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Cyber Attacks on MFA

 

IT systems of the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs are a target of cyber attacks every week. However, in January 2017 MFA cyber security specialists detected that the MFA External Communication System faced another cyber attack, this time email accounts of officers including the board have been hacked. Yet, the MFA Internal Communication System wasn’t targeted, hence no classified information leaked.

After the cyber attack detection MFA informed immediately the Czech National Security Authority (NSA) as well as the Czech Prime Minister, Bohuslav Sobotka, and other parties involved. A working group comprising MFA experts, Czech NSA and intelligence services has been created in order to take measures preventing other similar attacks. The working group’s goal is also to analyze the leak content and extent.

Currently we don’t detect any other cyber attacks.

According to cyber security specialists in charge of the case it was a relatively sophisticated attack, most likely conducted by another country. It resembles recent hacking attacks against the U.S. Democratic Party.

At the next Government meeting, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lubomír Zaorálek, together with the Prime Minister Sobotka, are going to outline necessary steps; the intelligence and Czech NSA have to analyze the situation in other State Offices to make sure they aren’t targeted by cyber attacks and to make potential conclusions and suggest relevant solutions.

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