The DSA Director Antonis Antoniadis, warned on Monday that Cyprus is going through a “difficult period”, as cyberattacks have increased significantly and are now recorded on a daily basis.
As he explained, the attacks are no longer only financially motivated, but are also linked to geostrategic interests, the involvement of third states and an increased risk of losing sensitive information, which is also intensified due to the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the EU.
Antoniadis revealed that cyberattack incidents are now continuous, with the authority being on permanent operational readiness. He stressed that cybersecurity cannot be addressed in isolation, but requires close cooperation between many state agencies, such as the Defence Ministry, the Justice Ministry, the Deputy Ministry of Research and Innovation and the intelligence services.
At the same time, he stated that Cyprus is in the group of the five best countries in the European Union in terms of legislative framework for cybersecurity, although it lags behind in other areas.
Despite the pressure, he said the country is above the European average in cybersecurity levels in several critical infrastructures, but noted that “we are not 100% fortified” and there remains significant room for improvement. He also said that the private sector is better shielded in some areas than the public sector, despite the significant steps forward that have been made.
There have also been reports of ransom demands from organisations that have been subjected to cyberattacks. According to the APSA, its position is to avoid paying ransoms; however, it admitted that in some cases sums were paid.
During the meeting, reference was also made to administrative fines and warnings imposed on government agencies for cybersecurity incidents, including the Department of Information Technology Services.
Antoniadis noted that the authority also invests in prevention through information campaigns and visits to schools, as well as through teacher training, seeking to strengthen a culture of digital safety from a young age.
(Source: CNA)
