Hackers attacked the information system of the Lithuanian Ministry of Interior, which stored data on foreigners
On the evening of September 24, Lithuanian Minister of Interior, Martynas Kacelinas, received information about a cyberattack on the information system administered by the Department of Informatics and Communications under the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Interior's press service reports .
Photo: vrm.lrv.lt
According to available information, unauthorized access was gained to EPEKIS — an information system related to the provision of public services to Lithuanian citizens and foreigners, including issues of document issuance and consultation.
However, this system has not been actively used since 2018 and now functions as an archive. It stores archival data on foreigners who applied for Lithuanian citizenship. The majority of the data consists of the names and surnames of foreign citizens without their personal identification numbers.
According to the Department of Informatics and Communications, unauthorized access to the system was promptly stopped. At this moment, it is known that the attackers managed to penetrate the system and create data sets. However, no evidence of information being downloaded from the system has been detected so far.
Lithuanian Minister of Interior, Martynas Kacelinas, stated that the incident once again highlighted the need to constantly strengthen the protection of state information systems. After discussions with responsible services, he instructed them to assess the security of all information systems and databases under the Ministry of Interior's jurisdiction.
According to the Minister, following a previous incident at the Centre of Registers, two-factor authentication has already been implemented in the Ministry of Interior's systems, along with strengthened technical control over data transmission and other monitoring mechanisms. It is these measures, it is claimed, that allowed for the timely detection of the breach and the cessation of further malicious actions.
Kacelinas also did not rule out that an artificial intelligence platform might have been used during the attack. According to him, the capabilities of cyberattacks are developing very rapidly, so the state must simultaneously strengthen its own defense mechanisms.