The small EU member Montenegro is the victim of a major hacker attack, including the Ministry of Finance. France rushes to the rescue in times of need.
After the large-scale cyber attack on government agencies in Montenegro, France has responded to the small Balkan state’s request for help. The French government is responding to Montenegro’s request for assistance and is sending a mission from the French Information Systems Security Agency (ANSSI) to help investigate the cyberattack and restore cybersecurity, Assistant Minister for Digital Jean-Noël Barrot said. in Paris with.
Barrot highlighted that France has invested heavily in cybersecurity in recent years. The number of experts in this area has risen by around 50 percent since 2018 to 45,000 at the end of 2021. As part of the “France 2030” plan presented by President Emmanuel Macron last year, 140 million euros will also flow into the training of new experts in the field of cyber security.
The Montenegrin government reported cyberattacks on the computer systems of several state institutions on Saturday, including that of the Ministry of Finance. His country has never experienced a hacker attack of this magnitude, said Minister of Administration Maras Dukaj. Citing an “informal briefing” by the National Security Agency, several media outlets reported that all infrastructure, including electricity and water supplies, was at risk.
Defense Minister Rasko Konjevic blamed Russia for the attack. Moscow put the NATO member on its list of “enemy states” in March because of Montenegro’s support for EU sanctions following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.