Posted on August 2, 2021 at 5:22 PM
Lazio Suffers COVID-19 Vaccination Setback As Hackers Disrupt Systems
The Lazio website www.regione.lazio.it people use to book for Covid-19 vaccine was down on Sunday after it was hit by a cyber attack. As a result, people were not able to book for their Covid-19 vaccine.
The region disclosed on Twitter that all verification and defense operations have been put in place to prevent any disruptions in the rendering of services. However, the region stated that “Operations concerning vaccinations may be slowed down.”
It further apologized for the disruptions and promised to correct the issue as soon as possible. Lazio region also stated that the attack has been reported to the right authorities for more investigations. The right decisions will be taken to ensure a return of normal service, the region reiterated.
Based on an earlier investigation into the incident, it showed that the computer system was paralyzed by a virus. However, it didn’t affect personal data.
In Lazio, the highly contagious Covid-19 Delta variant is increasing and spreading widely making up about 80% of the new Covid-19 cases in the region. However, Alessio D’Amato, Lazio’s health commissioner stated that the region is committed to making sure that more people receive the vaccines to drastically reduce the spread of the virus. But the latest hacking incident and the subsequent pause of the online registration will be a setback to the entire process. The commissioner said about 66% of the adult population in the region has been vaccinated.
On a broader scale, the country says it has vaccinated about 60% of the population over 12 years old.
Hackers are always looking for opportunities to launch attacks on systems, especially at this period where countries have intensified efforts to battle the new Covid-19 Delta variant.
This has caused disruptions in Covid-19 vaccination and management in some cases. The recent attack on the Lazio systems has led to a temporary deactivation of the region’s vaccination network and health portal. The action was necessary to keep other systems safe from infection. As a result of the inoculation, the vaccination program could likely suffer a delay for some days.
Italian authorities are investigating the situation
D’Amato admitted that the attack is a powerful one as the entire CED is affected by the attack. Reports revealed that Rome prosecutors and Italy’s posted police are currently investigating the incident to gain more insights into the attack.
They are looking at the attacking methods and other indices to find out who is behind the attack.
Italy is intensifying its efforts to see that only those who are vaccinated are allowed access to certain facilities and other activities. After France announced a proof of vaccination or immunity from COVID-19, Italy has also followed the same route to make sure infections are curtailed.
However, the move was met with series of protests across the country. Several citizens took to the streets to voice their opinion against the so-called Green Pass required to prove they have been vaccinated or recovered from the virus.
Threat actors on the rampage
As the whole world is seriously fighting the menace and spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, threat actors are using the opportunity for their malicious gains.
Last year, the World Health Organization (WHO) released a report, detailing the increased presence of ransomware attacks since the outbreak of the virus.
They are using cybercrimes for various purposes, including to exploit people’s fear. In most cases, the criminals engaged in the spread of malicious applications, fraudulent sale of counterfeit goods, fraud websites spreading information, social engineering, and email phishing attacks.
These threat actors are deploying cyberattacks in form of COVID-19 to trick and misguide users. The WHO and security agencies all over the world have warned employees about the activities of these scammers. They have also explained their attack medium and how to avoid being victims of the hackers’ malicious activities.
