Cyprus government's main online portal prevents cyberattack

NICOSIA, Cyprus: The Cypriot government successfully thwarted a digital attack targeting its central online portal, the latest in a series of cyberattacks aimed at disrupting key state-run utilities and services.

The Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation, and Digital Policy announced that swift action by authorities had prevented significant damage, with only the government's main portal, gov.cy, being briefly affected.

The attack, identified as a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS), was designed to block access to specific government websites. However, officials confirmed that no other government ministry or service websites were impacted. The ministry did not disclose the perpetrators behind the attacks or any potential motives.

This incident followed previous cyberattacks on Cyprus' electricity authority, telecommunications providers, and the operator of the country's two airports, Hermes, as well as the fuel company EKO Cyprus Ltd. These attacks, which occurred over Friday and Saturday, were also repelled without any data breaches or significant disruptions.

Cypriot authorities have not yet identified those responsible for the cyberattacks but have emphasized the importance of ongoing vigilance to safeguard critical infrastructure.