Russian and Chinese hackers targeted Czech cyberinfrastructure – report

4 months ago 19

Strategic Czech institutions saw four hostile intrusions or attempted intrusions into their cyber systems last year, an annual report by the National Agency for Cyber and Information Security (NÚKIB) has revealed.

The report, seen by Euractiv Czechia’s media partner Aktuálně.cz and due to be discussed by the government on Wednesday, notes that the highest number of incidents in cyberspace was the highest in history, while serious attacks fell.

“Last year confirmed the long-standing interest of actors linked to the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China in covertly operating in the networks of Czech strategic institutions,” said NÚKIB director Lukáš Kintr, referring to a report that found a record high for all incidents in cyberspace in 2023, while the number of serious attacks decreased.

“We can speak of at least four separate attempts or successful penetrations into the networks of these organisations,” Kintr added.

According to the report, Russian and Chinese hackers had attempted to obtain sensitive government information. For security reasons, the report does not specify which institutions were targeted but instead describes general trends in cybersecurity.

The report also noted the involvement of the North Korean hacking group Lazarus, which seeks to compromise defence companies in NATO and EU countries.

Hackers linked to Iran, who oppose the Czech Republic’s siding with Israel, were also found to be active in the Czech Republic, targeting water management systems in particular.

“This was part of a global campaign aimed at entities using equipment made by the Israeli company Unitronics,” the report added.

(Ondřej Plevák | Euractiv.cz)