EU members overwhelmed
France helps Montenegro after hack attack

08/28/2022 01:49 am

Montenegro, a smaller member of the European Union, has been the victim of a major hacker attack, involving the Ministry of Finance. France rushes to the rescue in times of need.

Following a massive cyberattack on government agencies in Montenegro, France has responded to a request for help from the small Balkan state. The French government is responding to Montenegro’s request for assistance and sending a mission from the French Information Systems Security Agency (ANSSI) to help investigate cyberattacks and restore cybersecurity, Assistant to Digital Jean-Nol Barrot. Minister said in Paris.

Barot highlighted that France has invested heavily in cyber security in recent years. The number of specialists in this field has increased by almost 50 percent from 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 on Saturday reported cyber attacks on the computer systems of several state institutions, including those of the Ministry of Finance. Administration Minister Maras Dukaj said his country had never experienced a hacker attack of this magnitude. Several media outlets reported that all infrastructure, including electricity and water supplies, were at risk, citing “informal briefings” by the National Security Agency.

Defense Minister Rasco Konjevic blamed Russia for the attack. Moscow placed 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.