Nation records increased number of cyber attacks in half year: INSA

Addis Ababa March 6, 2021(FBC)- Ethiopian Information Network and Security Agency (INSA) announced that 976 cyber attacks have been carried out on a number of institutions during the past six months.

INSA Director-General Shumete Gizaw told ENA that the frequency of cyber attacks has increased this Ethiopian fiscal year.

He attributed the increase in attacks to changes in digital order that followed Corona virus, the law enforcement operation in Tigray region, and regional as well as international situations.

He said the cyber attacks attempted in the past six months is almost same as the attacks that happened last Ethiopian fiscal year.

“There could be international provocations by those that have regional political interests. The cyber attack attempts in Ethiopia are increasing due to Covid-19, the law enforcement operation and other regional and international reasons. And the cyber attacks during six months are almost the same as the attacks we faced last year,” the director-general stated.

He added that the 976 cyber attacks could have caused huge damage but were identified by the special technology the agency is equipped with to protect the country from cyber attacks.

“There are thousands of cyber attacks daily, but we have a technology that measures cyber attacks that prepared to inflict serious damages. The 976 cyber attacks were serious as they could have caused massive damage,” Shumete said.

According to him, 40 percent of the cyber attacks targeted financial institutions and the rest government institutions, the media, education institutions and other offices.

“Most of the 40 percent attacks were against financial institutions. Moreover, ministries, regional institutions and other offices were unusually targeted this year. The media, education institutions and other service giving institutions also faced attacks,” he elaborated.

Some of the cyber attacks have created problems such as disruptions of websites.

However, there was no cyber attack beyond the capacity of the country so far and institutions are protected from attacks through facilitating human resources and technology, the director-general pointed out.