condemns ″vehemently unacceptable″ cyberattacks in Portugal
The European Commission told the Lusa agency this Friday that it “strongly condemns” the recent and “unacceptable” cyberattacks on various entities in Portugal, revealing that it is in contact with the Portuguese authorities “to better understand” the magnitude and impact of these incidents.
“We saw it as news. We are aware of several recent cyber incidents in progress, we have been closely monitoring the situation in Portugal and we have an Incident Response Equipment Network accompanied by security. [CSIRT]”, advances an official source of the European Commission in a written response sent today to Lusa.
Asked by Lusa about the consecutive cyberattacks on Portuguese entities, such as the operator Vodafone, the media groups Impresa and Cofina and the Germano de Sousa laboratories, the same source stresses: “We condemn these cyberattacks, which are unacceptable”.
“We are also in contact with the Portuguese authorities to better understand its magnitude and impact”, he adds, stressing that the European Commission is still “available to help in case of need”.
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On Thursday, the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) had already told Lusa that it was “closely monitoring” the recent cyberattacks in Portugal and providing support to the Portuguese emergency response team of the European network.
This is nowadays with the CSIRT member, who tells Lusa that the response network “has in a state in which the CSIRT member” members cooperate, exchange information and build trust”.
ENISA arrived at Lusa Data in every year that cyber incidents with a significant impact on critical sectors – such as media – have increased by 72% in recent years, with a general trend towards an increase in areas, with a potential increase in rescues.
“We are concerned about the growing number of malicious cyber activities at a global level, which is one of the top 15 threats against European citizens, according to ENISA”, admits the European Commission to Lusa.
Underlining that “cybersecurity is a top priority”, the Community Executive Register still exists in various rules to ensure security in this area, such as the directive on a European level of security of networks and information, the Cybersecurity Act and the European Code of Electronic Communications.
At the European Union level, there is also ENISA to support Member States, as well as a European Cybercrime Center integrated in Europol (community police).
From that, in December, the European Commission, a new cybersecurity strategy organization, a new cybersecurity strategy organization, an institution, a new cybersecurity strategy. Revised by co-legislators to “better prevent and respond effectively to cyberattacks”.
The position comes days after operator Vodafone was the target of a cyberattack.
In addition to the cyberattack on Vodafone Portugal, the websites of the media group Cofina (Record, Correio da Manhã, CMTV, Sábado and Jornal de Negócios) and the Impresa group (which owns SIC and Expresso ), as well as the website of the Assembly of the Republic.
The Judiciary Police is investigating these attacks.
On Thursday, the laboratories of the Germano de Sousa Laboratory Medicine Center were the target of a computer attack.