Bermuda premier blames system outages on ‘Russia-based’ attackers

Bermuda’s Prime Minister says the island and another Caribbean government are currently facing a cyberattack that has resulted in several announcements of damaged internet and phone infrastructure.

During press conference On Thursday, Bermuda Premier David Burt confirmed that a cyberattack by Russian-based actors was behind widespread internet outages affecting all government agencies and more.

“It remains to be seen, but it is clear that there is something external that is affecting government services and the early indications are that it is coming from Russia,” Burt said. “We now know of other Caribbean jurisdictions (affected).” He did not specify what it was.

The press conference came after the government posted messages on social media explaining that it was “currently experiencing interruptions to internet/email and telephone services.”

“All departments are concerned. The Department of Information and Digital Technologies (IDT) is working quickly to restore service,” the government said Thursday morning. He later said the service interruptions would continue until Friday.

“The investigation into the incident continues and measures to restore service are underway. Work to facilitate the payment of salaries and suppliers has begun, although payment delays are expected,” said the government. explain. “At this time, cashiers only accept cash and checks. Government House has been informed of the situation and is working collaboratively with Government.

From Friday afternoon, the government website was broken down. Bermuda is a self-governing British Overseas Territory.

Burt said the Department of Information and Digital Technologies works with the Ministry of National Security, which handles most cybersecurity issues. They also coordinate with officials in at least one other foreign country to provide assistance.

“We’re trying to identify which systems are affected and which are not so we can get back to meeting people’s needs,” Burt added.

Burt claimed there was no evidence that data had been stolen, but Bermuda was forced to postpone an Assembly session.

A government spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment.

Ransomware gangs have made a point of attacking Caribbean governments over the past year.

Martinique, Trinidad and TobagoTHE Dominican Republic And Guadeloupe have all faced ransomware attacks over the past year as Costa Rica – a Central American country located on the Caribbean Sea – faced a large-scale incident affecting several parts of his government.

Jonathan Greig

Jonathan Greig is a breaking news reporter at Recorded Future News. Jonathan has worked as a journalist around the world since 2014. Before returning to New York, he worked for media outlets in South Africa, Jordan and Cambodia. He previously covered cybersecurity at ZDNet and TechRepublic.