Sold on the Internet What is the story of the hacking of secret NATO documents from the Portuguese Army Command?

In an unprecedented operation, the database of the Portuguese Army General Command was hacked by hackers who obtained secret NATO documents. While there are fears in Lisbon of the possibility of buying these documents on the "dark web".

On September 8, the Portuguese press reported that the database of the country's army command had been hacked, in an attack that resulted in thousands of secret NATO documents being smuggled. While the Portuguese authorities did not discover that this had happened, only after receiving alerts from American intelligence, which described the matter as "extremely dangerous."

The Lisbon government has opened an investigation into the incident, and the Portuguese National Security Office and the Defense Strategic Information Office are working to recover the stolen documents. These intelligence agencies are racing against time to prevent these documents from being passed on to hostile parties, thus offering the possibility to be purchased on the "dark web".

Massive piracy

The Portuguese newspaper , Dario de Notísas, published a report in which it indicated that it was US intelligence that alerted the Portuguese authorities to a hacking of the army leadership, after they discovered that secret documents sent by NATO to Portugal were displayed for sale on the "dark web".

In the face of this information, the official spokeswoman for the US embassy in Lisbon did not deny that this happened, but she refused to comment on it, saying: "We do not comment on intelligence matters." The Portuguese judicial police also refused to comment on the matter.

The newspaper added that the management of this case is being conducted under the direct supervision of the Portuguese Prime Minister, Antonio Costa. Portugal will have to explain to the NATO leadership the circumstances of what happened, and Lisbon has sent a delegation consisting of the Secretary of State for Digital Affairs and the head of the National Security Office to the alliance's headquarters in Brussels.

The newspaper also quoted a spokeswoman for the Prime Minister as saying: “The exchange of experiences between allies regarding information security is a permanent matter at the bilateral and multilateral level Whenever there is a suspicion that the cybersecurity of information systems networks is at risk, the situation is analyzed on a large scale. broad and at the level of all actions, to enhance awareness of cyber security and the correct handling of information to confront new types of threats.

Suspected internal penetration

No sources revealed the identity of the alleged hackers, while the Portuguese press hinted that the hacking operation took place from within the General Command of the Army.

As reported by the Portuguese "The Resident" website, the hack targeted the computers of the General Command, especially those used by the Department of Military Secrets and the General Directorate of National Defense Resources, through a "long-term and undetectable attack".

The site adds that this breach was done by breaking the security code for sending secret documents, and that "unsecured lines were used to receive and send confidential documents, instead of the military communications system with an integrated encryption in place."

According to Portuguese law, the Portuguese National Security Office is responsible for opening security investigations and conducting related investigations, and indicting officials under the provisions of the law, in the event of such breaches.

This office is under the supervision of the Presidency of the Government, and so far no accusations have been brought to any specific party.(trt arabic)