Ecuador's legislature, the National Assembly, reported that it suffered two cyberattacks on Monday aimed at disrupting its systems and accessing sensitive data. In 2023, Ecuador’s national election agency reported that cyberattacks originating from seven different countries disrupted online voting for citizens living abroad. In January, Ecuador’s national civil registry, which manages vital records including birth, marriage, and death certificates, reported a cyberattack on its computer systems and website. The attack on Ecuador's legislature occurred just a week after the Latin American country held its general election, in which right-wing President Daniel Noboa failed to secure an outright majority. Earlier this week, Ecuador’s Radio Pichincha reported that its systems were attacked by the hacker group Cyber Hunters, temporarily disrupting the main page of its website. In 2021, Ecuador's largest private bank, Banco Pichincha, suffered a cyberattack that disrupted operations and took ATMs and the online banking portal offline. “Despite constant harassment and attacks, we remain standing—firm and unwavering in our commitment to our audience—which has positioned us as one of the most widely reaching media outlets nationwide and a benchmark in electoral coverage,” the statement said. The agency said in a statement that it “will not give in to mafias” and remains committed to securing its systems and protecting citizens’ rights. The assembly said in a statement that it was able to quickly “identify and counteract the situation” but did not provide further details about the impact of the incident or the threat actor behind it. In a statement, the broadcaster urged international organizations that defend press freedom to take note of the “multiple attacks” it has faced over the past six years. The attack disrupted online services, primarily affecting the appointment scheduling system for identity cards and passports.
This Cyber News was published on therecord.media. Publication date: Tue, 18 Feb 2025 18:00:26 +0000