The Colombian government is preparing an administrative lawsuit and “possibly criminal proceedings” against American company IFX Networks, which suffered a cyber attack last week that left the Colombian state’s information unprotected, the Minister of Information and Communications (ICT) said on Monday. reported. .
The government reported on Thursday that unidentified individuals hacked at least 32 websites of organizations belonging to the Ministry of Health and Culture, as well as portals of the judicial system and market authorities.
The ransomware attack, which kidnaps data in exchange for money, was against IFX Networks, a U.S. provider of technology and cloud storage services contracted by the Colombian state.
On Monday this week, ICT Minister Mauricio Lizcano declared that the company is responsible for the incident and will take action as it refuses to respond to requests from the portfolio.
“In view of IFX Networks’ lack of commitment and failure of security protocols during the cyber-attack that occurred and refusal to provide requested information (…), I am taking administrative action against the company. I gave the order,” he wrote on the social network X (formerly Twitter).
Liscano added that he is working with the state attorney general’s office to coordinate “civil proceedings and potentially criminal proceedings.”
In a statement to Caracol Radio, the minister claimed that the Florida-based company had been “negligent”.
“When a country or a private organization provides data to a company, it is the company’s greatest treasure. And companies must take every precaution to ensure that this information is not lost,” he argued.
IFX Networks did not provide further details about the cyber attack, but Lizcano claimed that those behind the cyber attack were “encrypting information” and “demanding resources from the company” in exchange for bribes. ing. So far, he asserted that he is not aware of any official information being leaked.
The company apologized in a statement, assuring its employees on Monday that it had succeeded in “limiting the potential scope of the attack,” and last week targeting journalists’ offices in Panama and the platform that controls state purchasing in Chile. was also damaged.
Referring to the incident from United Nations headquarters in New York, President Gustavo Petro clarified to reporters that IFX Networks “did not have cybersecurity measures in place on its platform.”
The president said, “It has exposed weakness, which means it is a breach of contract.”
Source: Diario.Elmundo
