Pobelka-botnet ontvreemdde a lot of sensitive data

Through the Pobelka-botnet are much sensitive data is captured, including with the government. However, that was not the target of the attack, according to research from the government. The stolen data are bycatch; the botnet was designed to steal money.

In a letter to the Second Chamber wrote to minister Ivo Opstelten of the Ministry of Security and Justice, that there are many ‘potentially sensitive data of different nature are captured. It includes data from the national government, local governments and companies in the vital sector.

Among the vital sector fall under more water – and energy companies, but it is unclear which companies exactly are affected. The investigation of the intelligence agencies had no indications that there is another country behind the attack or that the attack is a military objective. The sensitive information was bycatch; the botnet was, like many other botnets, aimed at stealing financial data.

Opstelten writes not what settings exactly are affected, but it goes to hundreds of governments and organizations in the vital sector. In total 140.000 computers infected. Wil van Gemert, director cyber-security at the National co-Ordinator for Counterterrorism and Security, the opposite Tweakers not specifically indicate which organizations are affected, but wants to lose that, among other ministries are affected. According to him, it is difficult to specify which settings are affected, because for many organizations, also privéhardware is used. Therefore, it seems as if a setting is infected, while there may not be data that the organisation in question.

How sensitive is the data that are leaked is not clear, but in any case not to data that cross-border transactions risk formed. These include privacy and sensitive data. Which were largely obtained because the text that users are adopting in their web browser, was intercepted.

Van Gemert does not want to admit that the government initially had can do to help infected institutions and companies to be alert, such as the NOS previously claimed. In september, when the police about the existence of the botnet was informed, showed the government had little interest in the data. Just a few of the organizations would be informed that they were infected.

Now the government more infected individuals to warn. The hundreds of public authorities and critical organizations by the National Cyber Security Centre informed; for the alerting of other individuals, such as private users, the internet – and hosting providers on. According to Van Gemert, this can now, because the Public Ministry, the sensitive data is now officially recovered and handed over to the NCSC.