Key electricity distributor in Romania warns of ‘cyber attack in progress’

A leading energy services company in Romania has confirmed that it is currently dealing with an ongoing cyberattack. Electrica Group, a company listed on both the Bucharest and London stock exchanges that supplies electricity to over 3.8 million customers in Romania, stated to investors on Monday, alerting them to a “cyber attack in progress.”
According to the company’s CEO, Alexandru Chirita, specialist teams are collaborating closely with national cybersecurity authorities to manage and mitigate the incident. Their efforts focus on swiftly addressing the attack, identifying its origin, and minimizing its impact. The statement emphasized that critical systems remain unaffected, and any disruptions in customer interactions are a result of protective measures implemented to safeguard internal infrastructure. These security measures are temporary and intended to protect the overall system, the company noted.
Although the exact nature of the attack has not been disclosed, it may spark speculation regarding the involvement of pro-Russian hackers, especially since Romania recently annulled its presidential election due to alleged Russian interference.
The unprecedented decision to cancel the first round and restart the entire campaign came after outgoing President Klaus Iohannis released intelligence documents on December 4. The documents suggested that a far-right candidate’s success was influenced by widespread state-sponsored meddling in his favor. Chirita reiterated that the company’s top priority is ensuring the continuity of electricity distribution and supply while safeguarding personal and operational data within Electrica Group.