Hackers breached the International Criminal Court in cyber espionage attack

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has released more information relating to a cyber attack that recently took place and saw internal systems attacked.

In a statement made at the time, the court said, “The International Criminal Court's services detected anomalous activity affecting its information systems," and has now disclosed more information as well as plans for strengthening its cyberdefenses.

The ICC is responsible for storing and investigating evidence related to war crimes and genocide. Following the identification of a potential breach to its systems, “"Immediate measures were adopted to respond to this cybersecurity incident and to mitigate its impact."

“A targeted and sophisticated attack”

The ICC does not have sufficient evidence to identify who was responsible for the attack, but stated, “The evidence available thus far indicates a targeted and sophisticated attack with the objective of espionage. The attack can therefore be interpreted as a serious attempt to undermine the Court’s mandate.”

No further detail has been given on if any data was successfully accessed by hackers, but the ICC has said it will immediately alert those involved if any evidence suggests so.

One of the most notable warrants issued by the court was an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, issued in March 2023, with regard to crimes committed following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The ICC has been a continuous target of cyberattacks, and has prioritized upgrading its cyberdefense following the attack. Due to the nature of the data it holds, the ICC is focusing on enhancing its risk management framework in case evidence has been stolen, putting witnesses and victims at risk.

Via BleepingComputer

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