The Prague Airport and another regional hospital in the Czech Republic had announced today they had thwarted cyber attacks on their IT networks reinforcing warnings by the national cyber security watchdog of likely attempts to harm the country’s infrastructure.
“Attempted attacks on web pages of the airport were detected in preparatory phases,” the airport’s spokeswoman said in an emailed statement. “That prevented their spreading and all further phases that could have followed and potentially harm the company.”
The report stated a regional hospital in the Karlovy Vary, a western city in the country was attacked twice over the night and foiled the attempts.
Aside that, a number of hospitals in the country also recorded attempted attacks on their computer systems on Friday but those attacks were successfully blocked off.
NUKIB, a cyber-security watchdog set up in the Czech republic made it known on Thursday that it expected attacks in the coming days. The malware used in the attacks is designed to damage or destroy victims’ computers, according to researchers.
The situation got the attention of the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo who showed his concerns for the threat of a cyber attack against the Czech Republic’s healthcare sector making it known that those who are involved in the attacks should expect the consequences.
A Czech official speaking on condition of anonymity said it was not proven who was responsible for the activity the cyber-security watchdog had identified but it was thought to be the work of a “serious and advanced adversary.”
Again, the country’s Minister of Foreign affairs Tomas Petricek said on Saturday that the attacks were “extremely ruthless” considering the current state of the Coronavirus pandemic.
“I do hope that our experts will find out who is interested in Czech Republic losing to this disease,” he said on Twitter.
