Recent Cyber Attacks in Albania
Albanian organizations have recently been targeted in a series of cyber attacks attributed to the Iranian group known as “Homeland Justice”. The attacks, which began in July 2022, involve the use of a malicious software called “No-Justice”, referred to as a viper data.
According to Israeli IB company Clearsky, the malicious program “No-justice” (naCl.exe) is an executable file sized 220 KB that requires administrator rights to erase data on a computer. This program has the ability to disable the Windows operating system on an infected computer, making it impossible to restart the system.
Specifically, the program removes the loading signature from the main downloading process of the computer. When the computer starts, the BIOS (base-in-end system) reads the Master Boot Record (MBR) to locate the section where the operating system is installed for subsequent loading. The MBR is a critical component of the system’s loading process. If it becomes damaged or infected with malicious software, it can cause difficulties in launching the operating system.
Authorities and security experts are actively investigating the cyber attacks and working to mitigate the impact on Albanian organizations. Efforts to strengthen cybersecurity measures and enhance defenses against such attacks are also underway.