This week, a “deliberate and malicious” cyber-attack on Vodafone Portugal brought the country’s mobile networks offline. The situation began on Monday evening (February 7), when consumers were unable to access 4G and 5G networks and digital TV and SMS services. Vodafone stated that it has discovered “no evidence” of customer data being accessed or compromised due to the incident.
Following the attack, the company’s 4G and 5G mobile networks and fixed voice, television, SMS, and voice/digital response services remain offline.
“We have already recovered mobile voice services, and mobile data services are available exclusively on the 3G network in almost the entire country but, unfortunately, the scale and seriousness of the criminal act to which we were subjected imply careful and prolonged work for all other services,” the company said in a statement published earlier today.”
Vodafone said it is working throughout the day to restore remaining services with the assistance of local and international experts in what is presently the company’s most significant cyber security incident. Additionally, the firm stated that it is cooperating with authorities in their investigation of the incident and that, based on available evidence, no customer data appears to have been accessed or compromised.
Spate of attacks
Earlier this month, a series of cyber-attacks against other Portuguese businesses disrupted television and media services. A hacking organization dubbed ‘Lapsu$ Group’ apparently targeted media company Impresa, which owns the newspaper Expresso and the television network SIC. Local media said that user data was at risk due to the cyber-attack.
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Pallavi Singh
Content Writer, WCSF