Unprecedented cyber attack hit State Infrastructure of Montenegro

guest · Sep 3, 2022

...a massive and “unprecedented” cyber attack, authorities announced.
By Pierluigi Paganini - August 27, 2022

An unprecedented cyber attack hit the Government digital infrastructure in Montenegro, the government has timely adopted measures to mitigate its impact.

Montenegro immediately reported the attack to other members of the NATO alliance.

“Certain services were switched off temporarily for security reasons but the security of accounts belonging to citizens and companies and their data have not been jeopardised,” said Public Administration Minister Maras Dukaj.
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“A persistent and ongoing cyber-attack is in process in Montenegro,” reported the website of the U.S. Embassy in the capital Podgorica. “The attack may include disruptions to the public utility, transportation (including border crossings and airport), and telecommunication sectors.”

The National Security Agency issued a waring to organizations operating critical infrastructure.
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The company also opted to temporarily deactivate some clients’ services as a precaution. The Government believes that the attack was orchestrated by a nation-state actor.

“Outgoing Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic called a session of the National Security Council for Friday evening to discuss the attack. Abazovic said it was politically motivated following the fall of his government last week.” reported the Reuters.
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guest · Sep 3, 2022

Montenegro says Russian cyberattacks threaten key state functions
By Bill Toulas @billtoulas - August 29, 2022

Members of the government in Montenegro are stating that the country is being hit with sophisticated and persistent cyberattacks that threaten the country’s essential infrastructure.

At the time of writing, the official website of the government of Montenegro is unreachable.
Montenegro's Minister of Public Administration, Marash Dukaj, posted on Twitter on August 26 to warn about a new wave of organized cyberattacks against various state bodies.
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The country's Defense Minister has attributed these attacks to Russian actors, telling local media on Saturday that there’s enough evidence to suspect the attack is “directed by several Russian services.”

In response to this situation, the U.S. Embassy in Montenegro has issued a security alert to warn American citizens in the country about the risks that arise from these cyberattacks.

“A persistent and ongoing cyber-attack is in process in Montenegro,” highlights the security alert.
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guest · Sep 3, 2022

Montenegro struggles to recover from cyberattack that officials blame on Russia
By Jonathan Greig @jgreigj - August 29, 2022

Montenegro’s government is struggling to deal with a wide-ranging cyberattack targeting several ministries and agencies, while laying the blame for the damage on Russian state hackers.

Minister of Administration Maras Dukaj told several news outlets on Saturday that the country had never before seen a cyberattack of this magnitude, noting that it not only targeted the Ministry of Finance but also several critical infrastructure organizations.
France said it is sending members of its National Agency for the Security of Information Systems (ANSSI) to assist Montenegro in recovery efforts following a request for help from Abazović.
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Pro-Russia attacks on European nations
The National Security Agency of Montenegro doubled down on that assessment, telling local news outlets in a media briefing that they had evidence showing multiple Russian agencies were involved in the attack.

“It’s a very serious matter, and this is a very serious attack. We are monitoring the situation, the National Security Agency, the Police Directorate, the Ministry of Defense are also involved. In my opinion, this is a politically-motivated attack,” Abazović told reporters this weekend.
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UPDATE: Multiple cybersecurity experts and companies reported on Tuesday that the Cuba ransomware group took credit for at least one attack on Montenegro’s government.
The group added Montenegro’s parliament to its list of victims, claiming to have stolen financial documents and more.

Last year, the FBI said the operators of the Cuba ransomware earned at least $43.9 million from ransom payments following attacks carried out in 2021.
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guest · Sep 3, 2022

mood said: ↑

Montenegro struggles to recover from cyberattack that officials blame on Russia
By Jonathan Greig @jgreigj - August 29, 2022
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UPDATE: Multiple cybersecurity experts and companies reported on Tuesday that the Cuba ransomware group took credit for at least one attack on Montenegro’s government.
The group added Montenegro’s parliament to its list of victims, claiming to have stolen financial documents and more.
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Cuba Ransomware Gang Takes Credit for Attacking Montenegro
By Mathew J. Schwartz @euroinfosec - August 30, 2022

The Cuba ransomware gang is taking credit for attacking the government of Montenegro, which took offline multiple government websites and services amid what officials characterize as a targeted cyberattack.

Government officials in the Western Balkan nation -which has a population of 620,000 - on Friday acknowledged disruptions to online government infrastructure.

"Since late last night, Montenegro has been exposed to a new series of organized cyberattacks on the government's IT infrastructure. The primary target is the structure of state authorities," Minister of Administration Marash Dukaj tweeted Friday.
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The Cuba ransomware gang lists the Parliament of Montenegro, known as the Skupština, on its dedicated, Tor-based data-leak site. The Cuba gang claims that on Aug. 19 it stole files as part of the attack, saying the exfiltrated data includes "financial documents, correspondence with bank employees, account movements, balance sheets, tax documents, compensation, source code." Those claims could not be verified.
Recovery Continues
As of Tuesday, recovery appeared to be ongoing, and security researchers say that the country's domain name servers remain offline.
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guest · Sep 3, 2022

FBI's team to investigate massive cyberattack in Montenegro
By Predrag Milic - August 31, 2022

A rapid deployment team of FBI cyber experts is heading to Montenegro to investigate a massive and coordinated attack on the tiny Balkan nation's government and its services, the country's Ministry of Internal Affairs announced Wednesday.

"This is another confirmation of the excellent cooperation between the United States of America and Montenegro and a proof that we can count on their support in any situation," the ministry said of the deployment of the Cyber Action Team.
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Last weekend, Montenegro's Agency for National Security said the country was "under a hybrid war at the moment," blaming the attack squarely on Russia. Meanwhile, a Cuban hacker group has claimed responsibility while experts said it could also be the work of both individuals and organized criminal groups.
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guest · Sep 3, 2022

Montenegro hit by ransomware attack, hackers demand $10 million
By Bill Toulas @billtoulas - September 1, 2022

The government of Montenegro has provided more information about the attack on its critical infrastructure saying that ransomware is responsible for the damage and disruptions.

Public Administration Minister Maras Dukaj stated on local television yesterday that behind the attack is an organized cybercrime group. The effects of the incindet continue for the tenth day.
The minister added that a "special virus" is used in this attack and there is a ransom demand of $10 million.
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False allegations and Cuba
Previously, Dukaj himself, along with Montenegro's Defense Minister, told local media that they had enough evidence to suspect the cyberattacks were directed by Russian services.

The next day, though, Cuba ransomware gang listed the Parliament of Montenegro (Skupstina) as its victim and claimed to have stolen financial documents, correspondence with banks, balance sheets, tax documents, compensation, and even source code.
The data was published on the "free" section of the site, available to any visitor with no restrictions.
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waking · Sep 13, 2022

Montenegro wrestles with massive cyberattack, Russia blamed

September 12, 2022

https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-nato-technology-hacking-religion-5c2bd851027b56a77eaf9385b7d5d741

"At the government headquarters in NATO-member Montenegro, the computers
are unplugged, the internet is switched off and the state's main websites
are down. The blackout comes amid a massive cyberattack against the small
Balkan state which officials say bears the hallmark of pro-Russian hackers
and its security services.

The coordinated attack that started around Aug. 20 crippled online government
information platforms and put Montenegro's essential infrastructure, including
banking, water and electricity power systems, at high risk.

The attack, described by experts as unprecedented in its intensity and the
longest in the tiny nation's recent history, ..."

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