Brazil's Civil Defence alert system targeted in cyberattack that alarmed millions
Millions of Brazilians were awakened in the early hours by false extreme-risk alerts sent through the official Civil Defence system, in a cyberattack now being investigated by the Federal Police.
Brazil's Civil Defence alert system targeted in cyberattack that alarmed millions
Millions of Brazilian citizens were startled in the early hours of Saturday by false extreme-danger alarms that invaded their mobile phones through the official Civil Defence platform. The incident, classified by authorities as a cyberattack, struck from north to south across the country, affecting major cities including São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasília, Curitiba and Salvador.
The messages began circulating on Friday night and continued until around 1.30am on Saturday, local time. In most locations, the alerts contained only the word "misanthropy", which means hatred of humanity. In Belo Horizonte, the message was even more specific, warning residents of an alleged "alien invasion" with the text "Protect yourselves. Alien attack. Humans, we have arrived".
Brazil's Civil Defence alert system is normally used to warn the population about natural disasters, such as torrential rains or cyclonic winds. The notifications are accompanied by a very loud alarm sound that locks the mobile phone screen until the user confirms having read the message.
Faced with an avalanche of requests for clarification, Civil Defence deactivated the alert-sending platform and acknowledged that the system had been triggered remotely by an unauthorised external person. The entity assured that there was no actual catastrophe underway. The Federal Police were mobilised to investigate the origin and motives of the attack.
Source: Correio da Manhã
Source: Correio da Manhã