Georgia accuses Russia of widespread cyber attack
Georgia says that Russia carried out the cyber attack in October 2019. Photo: nordicmonitor.com.
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The Georgian Foreign Ministry has stated that on October 28, 2019, the Russian General Staff Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) Main Center for Special Technologies carried out a ‘widespread, disruptive cyber attack’ against web pages and servers of Georgian governmental agencies, court and media organisations.
The attack caused serious damage to the web pages and servers. The cyberattack aimed to undermine Georgia’s national security, harming the Georgian population, disrupting the functioning of government agencies, as well as various organizations, and stirring commotion in public,” Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Vladimir Konstantonidi said earlier today.
He stated that Georgia investigated the attack with the help of its international partners.
Georgia strongly condemns the attack, which contradicts international principles and regulations, and is another attempt against Georgian sovereignty and its Euro-Atlantic integration and development,” Konstantinidi said.
Georgian Foreign Ministry has urged the international community to give a due assess to the attack. Photo: RFE/RL.
He stated that the cyber attack once again confirmed the importance of national, cyber security efforts and the creation of an international partnership for cyber security.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has condemned the Russian cyber attack, saying this is an attack on the "sovereignty and national security" of Georgia aimed "to paralyse the activities of state institutions".
Konstantinidi said that Georgia will continue close cooperation with international partners in cyber security and urged the international community to “give a due assessment to the attack.”
The US condemns Russia’s ‘widespread disruptive cyber attack against Georgia,' carried out in October 2019, the press office of US State Secretary Mike Pompeo said earlier today.
Georgian Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia claims that a cyber-attack on the leading Georgian bank TBC was identified and responded to several weeks before the address of bank officials.
3,000 IT specialists will be retrained as a part of a programme supported by the World Bank. The programme’s budget is 7 million lari ($2,495,543/ €2,212,898). The tender to retrain the specialists was announced earlier today at the Courtyard Marriott. The free course will be launched in autumn 2019.
A global organized cybercrime network that used malware GozNym to infect computers and steal 100 million USD from more than 41,000 institutions has been taken down - Georgia helped in the process.
A memorandum of understanding was signed between the Operative-Technical Agency and the National University of Ireland concerning cooperation in cybercrime investigation and digital forensics, including trainings, exchange visits, study programmes, the exchange of scientific research and consultation services.
Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom Dominic Raab has condemned Russia’s “unacceptable cyber-attacks against Georgia”. Calling the Russia’s military intelligence service - GRU's - "reckless and brazen campaign" of cyber attacks against Georgia "totally unacceptable", Secretary Raab said the UK will continue to counter its "menacing behaviour" together with allies.
A number of European countries have joined the United States and the United Kingdom in condemning Russia’s cyber attack against web pages and servers of Georgian governmental agencies, court and media organisations on October 28, 2019.
Russian Foreign Ministry has denied widespread allegations that it carried out a cyberattack against Georgia in October 2019, stating that ‘there is no evidence providing’ the country was involved, accusing Tbilisi, Washington, London and other states of ‘synchronized’, anti-Russian propaganda. “All accusations are again lined up in the spirit of the notorious ‘highly likely,” Russian Foreign Ministry says.
The Georgian Foreign Ministry has thanked the international community for the ‘strict and immediate’ condemnation of Russia’s widespread cyber attack against Georgia back in October 2019. “Briefly we stated yesterday that Russia stood behind the cyber attack last year, about 20 countries condemned the action which shows that Georgia is not alone in combating severe challenges,” Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Vladimer Konstantinidi said earlier today.
High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of European Commission Josep Borrell has condemned Russia’s widespread cyber attack against Georgia back in October 2019.
Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani has thanked High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of European Commission Josep Borrell for condemning Russia’s widespread cyber attack against Georgia back in October 2019.
The Cyber Security Bureau of the Ministry of Defence of Georgia has become a full member of the Multinational Malware Information Sharing Platform (MISP), which is a NATO-endorsed smart defence initiative, reports the Ministry of Defence.
Police have detained four persons for cyber crime in Tbilisi and Batumi, says the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Detainees illegally used personal information of 13 people to illegally access their internet bank and online gambling accounts and stole 42,000 GEL ($14,756/€13,014) in total.
International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED), one of the key Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) in Georgia, said that it has identified 14 fake news websites, 15 Facebook accounts, 50 pages and 35 groups spreading disinformation.
US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan says that she has no concrete proof, however taking Russia’s previous activities into account ‘it is quite likely’ the country will try to interfere in upcoming parliamentary elections in Georgia in the autumn.
The Division for the Fight Against Cybercrime has detained two individuals for cybercrime in Georgia’s western Ozurgeti municipality, reports the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The first Cyber Security Forum in Tbilisi has been held by the government of Georgia to identify problems in Georgian cybersecurity and find ways to settle them with the involvement of the diplomatic corps and international institutions.
The US has charged six Russian Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) officers in absentia with cyberattacks against several states, including Georgia, stating that the alleged cyberattackers used destructive malware to black out thousands of computers and cause nearly $1 billion in losses. The US Justice Department says that the cyber attacks intended to support Russian government efforts to undermine, retaliate against, or otherwise destabilise worldwide computer networks.
A cyberattack has been carried out on the servers of the Georgian Public Broadcaster today, due to which broadcasting was stopped, announces the Georgian Public Broadcaster.
The individuals identified as G.Gh., I.D. and V.M. published photos of vehicles on Myauto.ge web portal with a price lower than the market cost and fraudulently forced the buyers to transfer part of money to their accounts.
Two individuals have been sentenced to seven years and six months in prison by Tbilisi City Court on charges of money laundering, illegal access to computer systems and theft.
The Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that Georgia 'strongly condemns' cyber attacks against the Ukrainian government websites, expressing solidarity with the Ukrainian MFA.