The Czech prime minister’s account on the social media platform X was hacked on Tuesday, with a series of false posts published. These posts included claims about a Russian attack on Czech military units and a response to U.S. tariffs. Despite security measures such as two-factor authentication, the attackers successfully gained access to the profile, posting misleading content. Prime Minister Petr Fiala confirmed that the hack originated from abroad and emphasized that the government is cooperating with the police to investigate the incident.
One of the fake posts falsely claimed that Russian forces had attacked Czech soldiers near Kaliningrad, a Russian exclave. The post was later removed, and government spokesperson Lucie Michut Jesatkova clarified that the claim was not true. Another fake post discussed preparing sanctions in response to U.S. tariffs. Both posts contained a live video link, which was actually a static image with no audio.
The incident has raised concerns about the vulnerability of high-profile accounts, even with strong security measures in place.
The Czech political party Spolu, which includes Fiala’s Civic Democratic Party (ODS), also saw similar fake content appear on its X account. ODS spokesperson Jakub Skyva stated that they are working with experts to analyze the attack and ensure the security of their channels. Czech parliament security committee member Petr Letocha suggested that the breach may have involved someone with administrative access to both accounts.
He reassured the public that the account is now fully under control.
Czech police are investigating the breach to understand how it occurred and whether any laws were broken. The Czech Republic has been targeted by cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns in recent years, many of which have been traced back to Russia. The country has strongly supported Ukraine since the Russian invasion in 2022, providing military aid and backing EU sanctions.
Reference:
