Moldova could face a growing number of cyberattacks, Prime Minister Vasile Tofan has warned. His remarks came in the wake of a breach involving the personal data of around 750,000 Moldovans.
The head of government noted that, in the age of artificial intelligence, such incidents are a “reality we must not ignore”, according to newsmaker.md. The prime minister stressed that cyber defence must remain a priority.
“As AI’s processing power grows, it can indeed uncover vulnerabilities that humans cannot detect. That is why cyber defence will remain a priority. It is a priority for every EU country.
This is a top priority for us, and we will continue to focus on protecting citizens’ data and preventing such incidents in the future. To achieve this, we must invest in our security, including cybersecurity.
I think everyone understands that hybrid attacks did not start today, nor did they start yesterday. We have been the target of such attacks for years, and the reality is that we must be prepared for them to intensify, including in cyberspace,” Vasile Tofan said.
According to the e-Governance Agency, between October 19 and 23, hackers attempted to access the personal data of more than one million Moldovans and managed to obtain information on around 750,000 of them.
The information concerned includes identifying details such as surname, first name, date and place of birth; information about first-degree relatives; insurance status; family doctor; social benefits; pensions; disability; driving licence; photograph; vehicles and companies owned or managed; as well as financial information, including IBAN, tax debts and MPay payment history.
The investigation into the incident is ongoing. Those affected will be informed about what happened and the findings of the investigation.