European Commission Confirms Cyberattack on Cloud Infrastructure
The European Union’s principal executive body has acknowledged a cyberattack, revealing that hackers have compromised extensive data from its cloud storage systems.
Confirmation of the Incident
Nika Blazevic, a spokesperson for the European Commission, informed TechCrunch on Friday that the organization has identified a cyber-attack impacting parts of its cloud infrastructure.
Response and Investigation
According to Blazevic, immediate actions have been taken to contain the attack, and risk mitigation measures have been implemented. While an investigation is currently underway, she assured that the Commission’s internal systems remain unaffected by this incident.
Details of the Breach
In a comprehensive statement available on its website, the Commission specified that the breach impacted its cloud infrastructure, which is crucial for hosting the Commission’s online presence on the Europa.eu platform, the primary repository for much of the Commission’s web data.
Extent of Data Theft
Bleeping Computer was the first to report on the breach, citing sources familiar with the situation. The publication disclosed that the hackers allegedly obtained hundreds of gigabytes of data, including multiple databases, from the European Commission’s Amazon Web Services account. This claim is supported by the hackers’ provision of evidence, including screenshots that demonstrate their access to the data.
Nature of the Compromised Data
As of now, the specific types of data that were stolen remain unclear. The ambiguity surrounding the data’s nature raises concerns about potential implications for the security and privacy of the Commission’s operations.
Broader Implications for Cybersecurity
This incident highlights the escalating risks associated with cyberattacks targeting cloud infrastructures, particularly for organizations that manage sensitive data. As fintech and technology sectors increasingly rely on cloud services, ensuring robust cybersecurity measures becomes paramount to protect against such breaches.