The Australian Parliament confirmed that it is investigating a security incident that had an impact on its computer infrastructure
According to network
security and ethical hacking specialists from the International
Institute of Cyber Security, the Australian government has begun an
investigation related to a “security incident” in the computer network of the
federal Parliament. Further details of the incident are unknown to date.
“A security incident has been detected in
Parliament’s computer network. We have implemented some protection measures for
our employees”, the Parliament mentions in a statement.
Further technical details about the incident
have not been disclosed, but network security specialists working with the Australian
government claim that there is no evidence that the attackers have been
able to access the data stored in the systems Parliamentarians.
The representatives of the Australian
Parliament have also not set a stance on the cyberattack, although Parliament
is expected to attribute responsibility for this incident to groups sponsored
by government actors in other countries.
“There is no evidence that this is an attempt
to influence the outcome of parliamentary processes or to exert influence on
the electoral or political processes of Australia,” mentions a statement from
the Australian government. “Our immediate obligation is to protect our networks
and state-protected information”.
As an additional security measure, the network
security experts in Parliament restored the passwords of all members of the
legislative body.
“Australian Cyber Security Center will continue
to work with Parliament to understand the full scope of this network compromise”,
said an Australian government spokesman.
“Meanwhile, the necessary measures are being
taken to mitigate the risks of a more serious incident and avoid any collateral
damage to the members and staff of Parliament”.
