On Wednesday, a cyberattack targeted several municipalities in the Gipuzkoa region of Spain, notably affecting the Irún City Hall website, which was offline for several hours. The attack disrupted access to key services, such as the city’s online portal, making it impossible for users to access essential information and complete tasks. The Cyberzaintza, the Basque police’s cybersecurity division, quickly confirmed the attack and took immediate steps to assess the damage. Technical teams from the Irún City Hall worked throughout the day to resolve the issue, successfully restoring the website by the afternoon, though some issues persisted until around 6:00 PM.
The cyberattack had a direct impact on administrative processes, particularly for those who relied on the city’s electronic headquarters for official procedures.
Many citizens were unable to access or submit the necessary documents online due to the disruption. In response, the Irún City Hall decided to extend the deadlines for certain procedures, such as filing applications and paying fees, until 11:59 PM on the same day. This measure was put in place to ensure that individuals who were unable to complete their tasks during the outage would not be penalized, highlighting the municipality’s commitment to fairness despite the challenges caused by the cyberattack.
Other municipalities within Gipuzkoa, including the Diputación de Gipuzkoa, Donostia City Hall, and Hondarribia City Hall, also faced similar disruptions caused by the cyberattack.
The municipality confirmed that their website was briefly affected but was restored within minutes, minimizing the impact on public services. Despite these issues, the websites of the affected administrations are now functioning normally, with their respective technical teams working alongside cybersecurity experts to address any lingering concerns. The municipality emphasized that the systems in place for monitoring and securing the websites worked effectively, preventing more serious disruptions.
This cyberattack is a reminder of the increasing vulnerabilities that local and regional government websites face in today’s digital landscape. It underscores the need for heightened cybersecurity measures, as public sector entities remain attractive targets for hackers seeking to cause disruptions. Local authorities are continuing to investigate the source of the attack, with a focus on strengthening security protocols to safeguard critical infrastructure from future cyber threats. The event also highlights the resilience of the municipal teams, who acted quickly to mitigate the effects of the attack and restore normalcy.
Reference:
