Cyber attacks on state and private institutions are on the rise in Albania, according to Minister of Defence Niko Peleshi at a hearing session of the Commissions on Law on Monday, November 8.
During his speech, Peleshi said that the risk is present and increasing. The Minister explained that many companies had been victims of ransomware and forced to pay fines, while many others had been hacked.
“We may think of cyber defense as being very futuristic, but the truth is I was not previously aware of how many cyberattacks our country deals with.”
He noted that Albania has modest defenses against such attacks, while state and private institutions deal with tens and even hundreds of attacks daily.
He also announced an €18 million fund from the US that would be used to set up the Military Cyber Agency to help fight the phenomenon.
“We will set up the military cyber unit. We will increase the number of employees, and there is a challenge of how to increase our human capacity. The market demands them at high levels, compared to our wage level,” he noted.
Peleshi said bonuses would be provided for in-demand candidates as the situation is becoming more serious.
“I have received information that some private companies, not all of them declare they have been attacked and that they have paid fines. They pay tens of thousands of euros with cryptocurrencies, a technology that enables it. Cyber protection is a necessity today,” he added.
The creation of a unit was first announced back in July. At the time, Peleshi said, “We are a NATO country in the region; we have rivals and competitors. Certain interests meet and want to destabilize our constitutional order and our defence system, or even test our reaction against these attacks.”
Albania to Launch Cyber Defense Unit to Tackle Growing Online Threats
The country is currently the 5th most significant source of cybercrime in Europe, accounting for 11.79% of all cyberattacks.
This data came from Atlas VPN who analyzed the number of incidents reported in European countries, especially malware.
Belarus took the top spot with 19.02%, followed by Moldova, Russia, Ukraine, and Albania.
According to Atlas, Albania is responsible for at least 1.3 million attacks per year, or almost 4,000 a day.
In February of this year, the government unveiled its five-year National Cybersecurity Strategy. This included ensuring better protection for state and official networks, improving the legal frameworks to protect citizens, and enhancing measures to combat cybercrime and using the internet for illegal means.
Meanwhile, during today’s hearing, Peleshi said all staff under his supervision will benefit from a 30% pay rise. He said this was a historic increase and would benefit soldiers and generals alike.
