Cyber Incident Victim: Ora News, Dosja, Syri, Faktor, Lapsi, SportExpress
Date:
Jan 2022
Location:
Albania
Summary
Multiple Albanian online media portals, including Ora News, Dosja, Syri, Faktor, Lapsi, and SportExpress, experienced coordinated cyberattacks involving artificial traffic surges that crashed their websites and hindered access. The SafeJournalists network highlighted concerns over the attacks' sophistication and urged authorities to investigate, though no official response was confirmed. The outlets speculated the attacks followed their publication of an audio recording featuring Tirana's mayor using obscene language to influence football governance, though they acknowledged lacking direct evidence linking him to the incidents. The mayor confirmed the recording's authenticity but did not address the cyberattacks. This incident reflects broader digital threats against Albanian media, including a prior 2020 attack on another outlet attempting to delete its content database.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 0 motives | 1 technique |
| Threat Actors | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 0 actors | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
On January 24, 2022, at least six Albanian online media portals—Ora News, Dosja, Syri, Faktor, Lapsi, and SportExpress—experienced coordinated cyberattacks characterized by artificial traffic surges designed to crash their websites and disrupt public access. The attacks persisted over three days, prompting the SafeJournalists network, representing over 8,200 media professionals in the Western Balkans, to publicly urge Albanian authorities to investigate. SafeJournalists researcher Blerjana Bino emphasized the necessity of authorities ensuring "proper investigation and transparency," while noting the importance of strengthening media outlets’ digital safety infrastructure. The network described the attacks as "very well coordinated" and called for swift action to identify the perpetrators.
The targeted portals linked the timing of the attacks to their recent publication of an audio recording featuring Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj using obscene language to pressure football stakeholders to oppose Albanian Football Federation chief Armand Duka. While Mayor Veliaj acknowledged the recording’s authenticity, he did not address the cyberattacks. The media outlets admitted lacking direct evidence connecting Veliaj to the incidents but highlighted the coincidence of the attacks targeting outlets that published the recording. They formally requested an investigation to "remove the suspicion" directed at Veliaj and demanded transparency in the process. Authorities, including the Prosecution’s Access to Information Coordinators and the Police Directory, did not respond to inquiries about whether an investigation had been initiated. The incident reflected a broader pattern of cyber aggression against Albanian media, exemplified by a 2020 attack on Exit.al, where attackers attempted to delete the outlet’s entire article database before being neutralized by its IT team.