The Albanian National Agency for the Information Society has been forced to shut down online public services and government websites following an ongoing synchronized cyber attack from outside the country.
“In order to withstand these unprecedented and dangerous strikes, we have been forced to shut down government systems until the enemy attacks are neutralized,” the agency said in a statement for media.
“The National Agency [is] on full alert and is working around the clock with the Microsoft team, the Jones Group International team, and the teams of Albanian companies in the ICT field to prevent this cyber attack from damaging or compromising the systems Albanian information,” it added.
The shut down has affected the websites of Parliament and the Prime Minister’s Office, as well as e-Albania—the government portal that all Albanians, as well as foreign residents and investors, have to use to use a slew of public services.
As of 1 May, e-Albania has taken on the role of many institutional counter services from across the country. Matters such as residency, tax, and business activities can now, in theory, all be carried out via the portal.
Albania has been rocked by a number of data protection and privacy scandals in the last 18 months, including leaks from government institutions that have seen the names, phone numbers, car registration plates, employers, salaries, and more, in the public realm.
