The Malta Information Technology Agency (MITA) said today that over the past months, it 'significantly heightened' IT security and protection in the connections of the government network to Malta’s embassies abroad.

The government agency said it had reviewed the contents of the report titled “Tracking GhostNet: Investigating a Cyber Espionage Network.” and noted the references to a number of Malta’s embassies. The report alleged that a number of computers appeared to have been infected with malware in a network based in China.

"MITA notes that important technical parameters in the publicly available copy of the report are unclear, possibly to conceal detail relevant to the further determination of the source of the compromise," the agency said.

"In recent months, MITA has implemented a series of security measures including, amongst others, the modalities for Internet access from Malta’s Embassies abroad. In fact, in the March 2009 incident – which originated through the embassies’ network – the cyber attack was promptly identified and remedial measures executed to eliminate the risk of compromise.

"Both in the March 2009 and September 2008 incidents MITA forwarded all its forensic evidence to the Police for its investigations.

"If anything, the report confirms the need for continual vigilance, good practice and appropriate technical protection in the corporate use of the Internet."

MITA said the report merely reaffirmed the reality that, irrespective of its size, technical knowledge and budgets, no state or enterprise was immune to cyber attacks. The Agency believed that any complacency to this effect would just lead to heightened exposure to risk.

See also

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20090329/local/malta-among-targets-of-electronic-spy-network-researchers-find/