MIA: Cyber Attack Carried Out on the System of Lugar Lab

The Cybercrime Division of the Central Criminal Police Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia has launched an investigation into the unauthorized access to the computer system of the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labour, Health and Social Affairs.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs reports that the investigation is underway under Article 284 of the Criminal Code of Georgia.

"At this stage, the investigation established that: On September 1, 2020, a cyber attack 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 from one of the foreign countries, which was aimed at unlawful possession and use of medical records and pandemic management information stored in the databases of the central office and its structural units, including the Richard Lugar Center for Public Health Research in Tbilisi. 

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

"Based on the evidence obtained at this stage, the cyber attack was carried out by one of the foreign special services.

"In the coming hours, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia will appeal to the relevant services of the partner countries to provide effective assistance in the rapid and effective investigation of this complex and specific crime.

"The Ministry will continue to inform the public about the investigation in the future," reads the statement.

The Lugar Research Center came to the attention of the public since 2017, after various instances of the Russian authorities criticized the center's activities and accused the spread of illnesses that are supported by the US government.

By Ana Dumbadze