The government of Albania broke off diplomatic relations with Iran today. The announcement came as the NATO member revealed that their critical infrastructure had been attacked on July 15 in a bid to destroy and paralyze the public services of the government. According to the Albanian government, the attack failed to achieve its goals, yet did cause damage to the infrastructure. All of the nation’s systems are back online.
The group “Homeland Justice” claimed responsibility for the attacks and on July 21 began posting stolen Albanian government documents on the web, and allegedly wiping government computer systems. As of late August, the group continues to publish stolen Albanian government content.
The Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama said, “without a shadow of a doubt” the attack was state-sponsored, orchestrated and sponsored by Iran. The tactics used by Iran included, according to Rama, the use of cyber-terrorist groups previously linked to Iran for their attacks on Israel, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Cyprus. Rama announced the Albania Council of Ministers decision to sever diplomatic relations with Iran and gave notice to the Iranian Embassy in Albania to depart within 24 hours.
Rama went on to highlight the target(s) of the Iranian attack:
- Paralyze public services
- Erase digital systems
- Gain entry to state records
- Steal government communications
- Create chaos and foment insecurity
Iran’s actions and Albania’s response captured the attention of NATO members. The White House National Security Council issued a statement in which they condemned the cyberattack and called for Iran to be held accountable. In that regard, the U.S. intends to take action (not specified) designed to achieve that goal – accountability. The NSC statement noted how U.S. personnel, joined by members of the private sector, have been in Albania working the issue and providing technological support to Albania’s efforts to mitigate and recover from the attack. The NSC admonished Iran, saying, “Malicious cyber activity by a State that intentionally damages critical infrastructure or otherwise impairs its use and operation to provide services to the public can have cascading domestic, regional, and global effects; pose an elevated risk of harm to the population; and may lead to escalation and conflict.”
Iran, as expected, called Albania’s actions both short-sighted and ill-considered and disavowed any knowledge of the attack.
During the 13th Annual Billington Cybersecurity Summit, Christ Ingis shared his insight concerning the cyber threat to the nation’s critical infrastructure. He noted that both companies and the government must work together to keep the nation’s digital infrastructure secure. and that everyone needs to be on the same page.
