Albania’s National Cyber Security Authority has raised alarms over disinformation campaigns and cyber attacks originating from groups linked to Iran and Russia, which target Albania’s critical infrastructure during periods of unrest in the Western Balkans and Kosovo.
Director General of the National Cyber Security Authority, Igli Tafa, said on Wednesday that cyber threats increase whenever tensions flare in the region, particularly in northern Kosovo. “We receive disinformation mainly from the Islamic State of Iran and groups linked to Russia, especially when there is a disturbance in the Western Balkans,” Tafa said during a hearing before the parliamentary committee on disinformation.
He noted that these disinformation efforts are often accompanied by cyber attacks. Tafa highlighted that Albania experienced 49 cyber attacks last year and 20 so far this year. Though most of these incidents were managed, two attacks last year and two this year were not fully contained.
Among the major incidents was a cyber attack on Albania’s statistical office, INSTAT, on February 1, which Tafa attributed to Iran. He dismissed the disinformation spread during the attack that claimed Albania’s Census data had been compromised.
Another significant case involved a disinformation campaign in late 2022, when a rumour about a second-tier bank’s bankruptcy caused panic among citizens. Tafa described this as a coordinated effort by the Islamic State of Iran, which he said was entirely false.
One of the most high-profile disinformation campaigns occurred in June, when a Telegram channel called Homeland Justice propagated false claims about mass destruction of critical infrastructure in what was dubbed “Bloody June.” Tafa confirmed that no such destruction occurred, though Albania took precautions to safeguard its infrastructure.
Tafa also addressed the growing confidence in Albania’s cyber security operations, noting that reports of problems by operators had increased by 400 percent over the past year. He credited strong cooperation with international partners, including the US, EU, and NATO.
“Our collaboration with the US, Italy, Romania, Israel, and the UAE, among others, has been excellent,” Tafa stated. “We are part of the Counter Ransomware Initiative, led by the Biden administration, and Albania leads one of its pillars, which received praise from the White House.”
In addition to foreign disinformation campaigns, Tafa said Albania continues to battle domestic fake news, including a rumour that hackers had compromised an Air Albania flight panel and false reports that the police’s infrastructure had been attacked.
In the first eight months of this year alone, Tafa revealed that Albania recorded 600 cases of technological espionage involving the leakage of information from critical infrastructures. On a broader scale, more than 5,600 cases of data breaches affecting Albanian citizens were identified.
