Warfare crimes tribunal says September cyberattack was act of espionage

The Worldwide Prison Courtroom (ICC) stated on Friday that the intense cybersecurity incident it detected in September was an act of espionage.

In a press release on the Courtroom’s web site, it stated the assault might be “interpreted as a critical try to undermine the Courtroom’s mandate.”

The assertion didn’t counsel a perpetrator, however the Courtroom — which is predicated in The Hague within the Netherlands — stated that Dutch legislation enforcement authorities are conducting a prison investigation.

It’s not clear what data, if any, was stolen in the course of the incident. As a part of its duties, the Courtroom processes delicate data referring to warfare crimes investigations, together with knowledge about witnesses who could possibly be in danger if their identities have been uncovered.

“Ought to proof be discovered that particular knowledge entrusted to the Courtroom has been compromised, these affected could be contacted instantly and straight by the Courtroom,” the ICC acknowledged.

On account of the assault, the ICC stated it was “figuring out actions and procedures to be prepared to answer any potential repercussions from the cyber-attack together with any potential safety threat to victims and witnesses, Courtroom officers and the Courtroom’s operations.”

It famous that the assault comes at a time of “broader and heightened safety considerations for the Courtroom,” together with threats in opposition to a number of of its elected officers.

Following the Courtroom’s resolution to difficulty arrest warrants for Russian president Vladimir Putin, in addition to the Russian Commissioner for Youngsters’s Rights Maria Lvova-Belova for the deportation of Ukrainian youngsters to Russia, Russian authorities in flip issued arrest warrants in opposition to the ICC president, deputy, and one in all its judges.

In June 2022, Dutch intelligence detained an alleged Russian army intelligence officer utilizing an elaborate false Brazilian id in an try to infiltrate the ICC. The person has since been deported again to Brazil, the place he’s being prosecuted for utilizing false paperwork.