Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro held an emergency meeting with the security forces after a cyber attack took down more than two dozen government websites.
The attack targeted one of the government’s web hosts, IFX Networks, and all but took the entire judicial branch offline early Wednesday.
Consequently, judges were unable to schedule court hearings or carry out any other proceedings that required internet.
The attack also affected the websites of the Health and Culture ministries and multiple superintendencies.
According to newspaper El Espectador, the attack was part of an effort to extort IFX Networks through so-called ransomware, which allows hackers to hijack computer systems.
Whether the attack has effects individuals whose data was stored on the government websites isn’t certain.
The National Police’s cyber intelligence unit PMU Ciber announced that its officials were investigating the effects on citizens and other websites.
PMU Ciber also hosted the emergency meeting, which was attended by prosecution and government officials.
Most judicial websites hosted by IFX Networks had been restored within 24 hours after the beginning of the attack.
Some continued to be offline, however.
Source : colombiareports
