Albania's authorities accuse Iranian-backed hackers of cyberattack

Shafaq News/Albania's cybersecurity authorities have charged a hacker group allegedly "sponsored by the Iranian government" of launching an attack on the country's Institute of Statistics.

On February the first, the institute reported becoming a target of a "sophisticated cyberattack" and that some systems were affected.

The National Authority for Electronic Certification and Cyber Security (NAECCS) on Tuesday accused "Homeland Justice," "an attacking group sponsored by the Iranian government," of the attack affecting 40 computers.

Meanwhile, the Iranian mission to the United Nations did not respond to the incident.

Albania has previously leveled accusations against Iran; following a cyberattack in July 2022, the government pointed the finger at the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

This attack was believed to be a retaliatory measure for Albania, providing refuge to members of an Iranian opposition group, ultimately leading to the severing of diplomatic ties with Iran.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency of the United States have labeled "Homeland Justice" as "Iranian state cyber actors."

Despite this, the Iranian Foreign Ministry denied involvement in the attack.

The United States, NATO, and the European Union have all backed Albania, a member of NATO, in the conflict.