Albania: Cyber Attacks Launched On Six News Portals Rendering Websites Inaccessible
Location: Albania, Tirana
Date: February 1, 2022
At least six online news portals have reported external interference on their websites, rendering them inaccessible. Media outlets accuse the mayor of Albania’s capital Tirana of being behind the attacks. They claim the interference was noted from January 24, 2022, onwards, after they published an incriminating audio clip of him. The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the cyber attacks and calls on the local authorities to conduct a transparent and immediate investigation.
Albanian news portals Ora News, Dosja, Syri, Faktor, Lapsi and SportExpress reported cyber attacks on their websites. These attacks included artificial increase of traffic which led the websites to crash and made them difficult to access.
The media outlets accused Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj of being behind the attack as they say the attacks started after they published a recording of him using obscene language to pressure football stakeholders to vote against current Albanian Football Federation [FSHF] chief Armand Duka.
Reportedly the portals admitted they do not have evidence to link the attacks to Veliaj, but they found it strange that only the news outlets which published the recording were targeted.
“We do not have concrete facts, but [we believe] everything has to do with pressure from Mayor Veliaj towards the FSHF,” Brahim Shima, director at Ora News told Balkan Insight.
Andi Bushati, who runs Lapsi.al, told Balkan Insight that he also viewed the attacks as connected with the publication of the audiotape involving Mayor Veliaj.
“We do not have 100-per-cent verifiable evidence that the cyber attack came from the mayor, but the fact that the media outlets which gave great visibility to this news were attacked and, above all, that the FSHF website, which first published this eavesdropping [audio clip] was [also] attacked, leads all assumptions to Veliaj,” said Bushati.
The attacked news outlets have called for an investigation to deduce who is behind the attack. “We expect full transparency in the investigation and follow up regarding specific measures to be taken,” they wrote in a statement, reported Exit News.
Blerjana Bino, the SafeJournalists researcher in Albania, said it is important for media outlets to report these attacks to the authorities, who in turn must ensure proper investigation and transparency. “It is also important to develop media outlets’ capacities and infrastructure in terms of digital safety,” she added.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the attacks and interference on the online news portals. We call for an immediate and transparent investigation into the attacks and the allegations against the mayor. The perpetrators behind these attacks must be identified and penalized.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
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