The government has condemned Iran for a cyber-attack against Albania which it says destroyed data and disrupted essential public services.

It said that the attack had impacted a number of services, including: paying utilities; booking medical appointments; and enrolling schoolchildren.

The attackers also leaked Albanian government data, including details of emails from the prime minister and ministry of foreign affairs, according to the government.

“Iran’s reckless actions showed a blatant disregard for the Albanian people, severely restricting their ability to access essential public services,” said James Cleverly, foreign secretary. “The UK is supporting our valuable partner and NATO ally. We join Albania and other allies in exposing Iran’s unacceptable actions.”

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) found that Iranian state-linked cyber actors are “almost certainly” responsible for a number of cyber-attacks against the Albanian government infrastructure from 15 July, which caused significant impact to government websites.

The websites of the Albanian Parliament and the prime minister’s office, as well as ‘e-Albania’, a portal that Albanians use to access a number of public services, were attacked and subject to a shut down.

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