The Division Combating Cyber Crime of the Central Criminal Police Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia has launched an investigation on the fact of unauthorized access to the computer system of the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labour, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia. The investigation is in progress under the Article 284 of the Criminal Code of Georgia.

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, at this stage, the investigation has determined that:

“On September 1, 2020, a cyber-attack from one of the foreign countries was carried out on the computer system of the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labor, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia. The attack was aimed at illegal appropriation and use of important medical records and pandemic management information stored in the databases of the central office of the Ministry, its structural units, including the Richard G. Lugar Center for Public Health Research of the National Agency for Disease Control and Public Health.

Part of the authentic documents obtained as a result of illegal access to computer system are currently being uploaded to one of the foreign websites and are available to the mass users. In addition, the website uploads obviously falsified documents, which are deliberately falsified in order to intimidate, confuse and distrust the public.

According to the evidences obtained at this stage, the cyber-attack was carried out by one of the foreign special services.

In the nearest hours, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia will apply to the relevant services of the partner countries for providing effective assistance in conducting effective investigation on this complex and serious crime.

The Ministry will continue to inform the public about the progress of the investigation in the future in a dose and periodicity that will not interfere with the interests of the investigation”, reads the statement released by the Ministry.