Cyprus has successfully defended against a digital attack aimed at blocking access to the government’s central online portal, according to an announcement made by the country’s authorities on Sunday. This incident is the latest in a series of similar attacks targeting state-run utilities and private companies in Cyprus over a three-day period.
The Cyprus Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy reported that a “quick and coordinated response” by authorities effectively foiled the distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack. The ministry emphasized that the attack’s sole purpose was to prevent access to specific government websites.
Officials stated that the attack only affected the main government portal, gov.cy, “for a few minutes,” and no other online government ministry or service website was impacted. The deputy ministry did not disclose information about the perpetrators or potential motives behind the attack.
This latest cyber incident follows a string of attacks on Friday and Saturday that targeted Cyprus’ electricity and telecommunications authorities, the operator of the country’s two airports (Hermes), and fuel company EKO Cyprus Ltd. Officials informed the Cyprus News Agency that all these previous attacks had also been unsuccessful, with no client information leaked or compromised.
The successful defense against these cyberattacks demonstrates Cyprus’ growing capability in protecting its digital infrastructure. However, the frequency and targeting of these attacks highlight the ongoing cybersecurity challenges faced by governments and critical infrastructure operators worldwide.
