The government of Montenegro is currently facing a lot of issues as it witnesses ransomware attacking cyberspace. The government is still trying to figure out more detailed information about the hackers, who are legitimately asking for around 10 million dollars. According to what was said by the Public Administration Minister Maharaj Dukaj in a Facebook video , it was revealed that the hackers have used the Cuba ransomware and a new virus, called “Zero Date,” to attack Montenegro’s websites and databases.
The minister added that a “special virus” was used in this attack and there is a ransom demand of $10 million. He even said that the state is not in a position to provide an estimate of when the services will become available. As of now, most government websites have been temporarily disabled. Dukaj said the attack was much like others in the small Adriatic republic in recent years, and that Montenegro, a NATO member, had alerted its allies about it. Currently, it is receiving help from the U.S. and other ally nations. “A persistent and continuous cyber-attack is underway in Montenegro,” the United States Embassy in Podgorica said on its website. Adding on to that, it mentioned “Disruptions to the public utilities, transportation, and telecommunications sectors are possible as a result of the attack.”
The Cuban government is being considered as the prime reason for the attack. Minister Dukaj himself informed the media that there is ample evidence of how the cyberattack was performed by none but Russian services. Such statements from the ministry along with the higher authorities have, however, given a geopolitical tint. NATO is galvanised to assist the Balkan countries with incident response, defense, and remediation.
