Albania accuses Iran of second cyberattack since July | Cybersecurity News

Albania has accused Iran of a new attack on police computer systems days after cutting diplomatic ties with Tehran.

Albania suffered a second cyber attack days after it cut diplomatic ties with Tehran in July over alleged hacking of government digital services and websites, the country’s interior ministry said.

“According to initial information, the National Police’s computer systems were attacked on Friday by a cyberattack perpetrated by the same actors that attacked the country’s public and government service systems in July,” the ministry said in a statement on Saturday. said.

Authorities have shut down computer-controlled systems at ports, airports and border crossings “to neutralize criminal activity and protect systems,” the statement said.

In a tweet, Prime Minister Eddi Rama condemned “another cyberattack”. [committed by] The same aggressors already condemned by Albanian friends and allies”.

Iran has dismissed accusations of being behind the attack as “baseless” and called Albania’s decision to cut diplomatic ties a “rash and short-sighted move”.

The two countries have been bitter enemies for years since the Balkans began accepting members of Iran’s opposition People’s Mujahideen, or Mojahideen-Khalq (MEK), into their lands. ing.

Albania agreed to accept MEK members in 2013 at the request of Washington and the United Nations, and over the years thousands have settled in the Balkans.

US accused of ‘stoking the flames of conflict’

Iran, meanwhile, has accused the United States of fueling the conflict after Washington imposed sanctions on the Ministry of Information as Washington’s focus on Albania.

The United States on Friday announced sanctions against Iran’s Ministry of Information and Security and its minister, Esmail Khatib, for alleged involvement in Tehran.

Prime Minister Rama on Wednesday accused Iran of directing a cyber attack on Albanian institutions on July 15 to “cripple public services and hack data and electronic communications from government systems.”

It was the first time Tirana had spoken out about the alleged attack.

“The Council of Ministers has decided to immediately sever diplomatic ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Rama said.

“The attack failed to achieve its objective. Damage may be considered minimal compared to the attacker’s goals. There was no erasure.”

The prime minister went on to say that Iranian diplomats and embassy staff must leave the country within 24 hours.