In the complex realm of cyber warfare, the Albanian Parliament and One Albania Telecom have made the headlines.
As the cyberattack targets Albanian parliament, Albania Telecom also became the prey of threat actors.
The National Authority for Electronic Certification and Cyber Security (AKCESK) has revealed that these critical organizations were infiltrated by hackers, with the Iranian opposition group Homeland Justice claiming responsibility.
Fortunately, while the cyber attack on Albanian Parliament raised concerns, no data was ultimately lost, allowing for a prompt restoration of services. However, One Albania Telecom suffered significant damage, allegedly resulting in the deletion of more than 2 petabytes of data.
“These infrastructures, under the legislation in force, are not currently classified as critical or important information infrastructure,” AKCESK said.
Albania Telecom Hit by Cyber Attack and Suffers Major Loss
One Albania Telecom, with approximately 1.5 million subscribers, reassured its customers through a Facebook post on December 25 that it successfully managed a security incident without any disruptions. The company stated that all its services, including mobile, landline, and IPTV, remained unaffected by the incident.
Albanian Parliament and One Albania Telecom Cyber Incident Details – Homeland Justice Claims the Attack
According to AKCESK, the cyber intrusions were traced back to IP addresses outside of Albania. The agency successfully detected and responded to the attacks in real-time.
AKCESK has prioritized efforts to determine the origin of the attacks, restore compromised systems, and enhance security measures to prevent future incidents. The incident has prompted AKCESK to conduct a comprehensive review of its cybersecurity strategies with the aim of strengthening them.
The full extent and details of the Albanian Parliament and One Albania Telecom Cyber attack are currently unknown. However, an Iranian hacker group known as Homeland Justice has claimed responsibility for the attacks on its Telegram channel.
The group also asserted that it had successfully breached Air Albania, the national flag carrier airline. Further investigation is necessary to determine the precise scale and impact of these attacks.
In a message shared on its website on December 24, the outfit said it is
“back to destroy supporters of terrorists,”
alongside adding the following tags: #albania, #albaniahack, #CyberAttacks, #mek, #MKO, #ncri, #NLA, #pmoi, #Terrorists.
What Motivated Homeland Justice for Albanian Parliament and One Albania Telecom Cyber Attack?
The recent cyber attacks on Albanian Parliament and One Albania Telecom serve as a reminder of the ongoing geopolitical conflicts in the cyber realm. Homeland Justice, the Iranian hacker group, claimed responsibility for these attacks, as well as for a previous incident.
In response, the U.S. government imposed sanctions on Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) and its Minister of Intelligence, Esmail Khatib, due to their involvement in cyber-enabled activities against the U.S. and its allies.
These cyber attacks are not solely driven by technological motives but are deeply intertwined with geopolitical tensions.
For instance, Homeland Justice’s operation named “Destroy Durres Military Camp” indicates their vendetta against the presence of the MEK (Mujahedin-e Khalq) in Albania. These cyber incidents create diplomatic strains and highlight the cyber battleground that nations must navigate with caution.
