site.btaConsultative Council on National Security Discusses Cyber Security amid Intensive Cyber Attacks

Consultative Council on National Security Discusses Cyber Security amid Intensive Cyber Attacks

Sofia, April 14 (BTA) - Bulgaria has recently become the target of intensive cyber attacks against national information structures, including critical infrastructure and state departments, President Rosen Plevneliev said after a meeting of the Consultative Council on National Security (CCNS) here Thursday. The meeting was held to discuss aspects of cyber security several days after the government published for public discussion a national strategy of cyber security.

The CCNS includes the President, the Prime Minister and government ministers, security service chiefs and the leaders of the parliamentary parties.

The President recalled a number of attacks against the communication and information systems of state departements and organizations during the 2015 local elections, which caused Internet sites to crash, inability to provide essential services and even a risk for unauthorized retrieval of information. There have been attacks against banks, airports and other elements of critical infrastructure in this country, he added.

The members of the Consultative Council agree that the growing and irrversible digital dependence gives rise to new risks and threats, and the importance of this aspect of national security will grow proportionally with the development of technologies and the deployment of electronic government in Bulgaria, which the power-holders have identified as one of their top priorities.

Cyber attacks may compromise critical government systems, impede their normal functioning or lead to the manipulation and retrieval of data through unauthorized access.

The CCNS meeting heard reports by the Minister of the Interior Roumyana Buchvarova and of Defence Nikolay Nenchev, of Deputy Transport, IT and Communications Minister Valeri Borissov and the deputy head of the State Agency for National Security, Oleg Petkov.

Socialist leader Mihail MIkov commented after the meeting that the issue is irrelevant for a broad scope of public interests and concern only the smooth functioning of the government. He argued that the demographic crisis is a much more important issue for him.

He said he told the meeting that the proposed conclusions are at odds with the presumed functions of the CCNS and fall solely within the responsibilities of the Council of Ministers and individual ministries.