INSA foils 787 attempted cyber attacks last year

Addis Ababa, August 24, 2020 (FBC) – Information Network Security Agency stated that it has foiled 787 attempted cyber attacks during the last Ethiopian Fiscal year.

Agency Deputy Director General, Kefialew Tefera, out of 1,788 attempted attacks 787 were fully thwarted, 124 are being given response and the remaining 167 were not tackled for various reasons.

Of the total attempted attacks 474 were spearheaded via malwares while 288 targeted websites through malicious scripts and the other 104 were interferences in to infrastructural developments.

The other 188 were attempted to access prohibited sites, 22 to disrupt Information Network Infrastructures while 2 are related to deceptions.

Most of the cyber attacks targeted infrastructural development institutions, according to the Deputy Director General.

According to the Deputy Director General, 90 percent of the attacks seen due to institutions’ increased engagement in the digital world, low awareness of Internet security techniques among individuals, failure to implement basic Internet security technologies, use of illegal softwares and negligence to check computer system security in organizations.

Compared to the previous years, extent of cyber attack attempts targeting public and private institutions is increasing though Agency’s Cyber Security Risk Management and Repose Division responded to them before they cause significant harm.

The agency has offered trainings to employees of public and private institutions on cyber security and related preventive mechanisms to effective counteract attacks being orchestrated to disrupt infrastructural systems in the country, the Deputy Director General added.