The Worldwide Prison Courtroom (ICC), the world’s solely everlasting worldwide courtroom with a mandate to research and prosecute genocide, crimes in opposition to humanity and warfare crimes, has decided {that a} September cyberattack in opposition to its techniques was tried espionage.
The courtroom, headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands, confirmed final month that hackers had infiltrated its community. In an replace posted Friday, the ICC mentioned it had since decided that this incident was a “focused and complicated assault” with the “goal of espionage.”
“The assault can due to this fact be interpreted as a critical try and undermine the courtroom’s mandate,” the courtroom mentioned.
The ICC, which holds delicate data associated to alleged warfare crimes and knowledge about witnesses who might be in danger if their identities had been uncovered, mentioned it has not but decided whether or not any knowledge had been accessed or stolen through the cyberattack.
“Ought to proof be discovered that particular knowledge entrusted to the Courtroom has been compromised, these affected can be contacted instantly and immediately by the Courtroom,” the ICC acknowledged. The courtroom has but to verify the precise nature of the cyberattack, equivalent to whether or not malware was deployed.
ICC spokesperson Sonia Robla didn’t instantly reply to information.killnetswitch’s questions.
The courtroom mentioned it has not but confirmed who was behind the cyberattack, however famous that it anticipates it can face disinformation campaigns focusing on the ICC and its officers in an try and delegitimize its actions.
In its assertion, the ICC famous that the cyberattack comes at a time of “broader and heightened security considerations” for the courtroom. After the ICC issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russia retaliated by issuing arrest warrants for the ICC’s president, their deputy, the chief prosecutor and one of many presiding judges.
On the similar time, the ICC mentioned it has undergone “each day and protracted makes an attempt” to assault and disrupt its techniques.