Bulgaria's Transport Minister: Phishing Accounts for 46% of Cyber Attacks

In 2011 and the first quarter of 2012, 46% of attacks on network infrastructure were phishing (e-mail fraud scam involving legitimate-looking messages used to lure users into disclosing private info), according to Ivaylo Moskovski, Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications.

Speaking Thursday at the opening of a national conference on crisis prevention and management, Moskovski made clear that the share of malware aimed at stealing confidential data was 17%, botnet attacks targeting connected computers to block the work of institutions were 3% and hacker attacks on e-mail servers were 7.7%.

Minister Moskovski stressed that the role and the responsibility of the state in regard to cyber attacks had increased tremendously, regardless of whether the raids targeted the business sector or state bodies.

He noted that the responsibilities of the Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications included two types of critical infrastructure – transport and information and communications.

Moskovski reminded that a Computer Security Incidents Response Team (CSIRT) had been set up in Bulgaria a few years ago.

The Transport Minister announced that the first steps towards organizing cybersecurity trainings had already been made.

He added that a new directorate called Response Center for Information Security Related Incidents had been opened at the Electronic Communication Networks and Information Systems Executive Agency in the beginning of April.

Moskovski was positive that the serious boost in the capacity of the Executive Agency would expand its portfolio of reactive and proactive services offered to public bodies.

As examples of international cooperation in defending critical infrastructure Moskovski cited the Memorandum of Understanding on Cyber Security Cooperation signed between Bulgaria's Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications, the State National Security Agency (DANS) and NATO and the constant connection to the Global Response Center (GRC) operated by the International Multilateral Partnership Against Cyber Threats (IMPACT).

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