Cyber Incident Victim: General Inspectorate of Romanian Police
Date:
Sep 2014
Location:
Romania
Summary
The General Inspectorate of Romanian Police experienced a website breach where Anonymous Romania defaced the homepage's news section with a protest message. The intrusion only affected the site's interface, leaving other content and databases untouched, with authorities confirming no sensitive data was compromised due to the system's isolation from internal networks. The group's actions were described as disruptive but limited to surface-level alterations, highlighting their ability to access public-facing platforms without deeper infiltration.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 1 motive | 1 technique |
| Threat Actor | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 actor | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
On September 19, 2014, the official website of Romania’s General Inspectorate of Police (IGPR) was compromised by a group identifying itself as Anonymous Romania. The attackers defaced the homepage by inserting an unauthorized post into the News Section of the site. Their message began with the group’s signature phrases—"We are Anonymous. We are Legion"—followed by a call to action in Romanian: "Wake up, Romania!" The post included the term "ciumpalacii," a derogatory local slang historically used by politicians to disparage protesters. Romanian police detected the breach the same morning when visitors encountered the altered content. Authorities confirmed the intrusion was limited to the website’s public-facing interface, with no penetration of internal databases or compromise of sensitive data. The IGPR clarified that the hacked platform only hosted general public information and operated independently from secure police systems, minimizing operational impact. No data theft or systemic manipulation occurred, though officials acknowledged Anonymous’s technical capability to inflict greater damage had they chosen to do so.
Police initiated an immediate investigation into the breach but disclosed no specifics about forensic methods or suspects. The incident highlighted Anonymous Romania’s recurring activities in the country, though the group had been less prominent compared to global operations. Prior incidents included a 2012 hack of Romania’s International Monetary Fund website and the National Agency for Energy Regulation (ANRE), both featuring similar defacements with YouTube videos and "Hacked by Anonymous" banners. Romanian authorities characterized Anonymous-linked actors as engaged in "criminal online activity," citing unauthorized system access and confidential data theft. The IGPR hack occurred amid broader cybersecurity concerns in Romania, including the high-profile case of Guccifer (Marcel Lehel Lazar), who had breached Romanian Intelligence Service chief George Maior’s email account earlier that year. Guccifer’s arrest and subsequent sentencing in Romania and indictment in the U.S. underscored the evolving threat landscape but remained distinct from the Anonymous operation. No arrests or technical countermeasures related to the IGPR breach were disclosed in the available reporting.