Europe’s cybersecurity chief says disruptive attacks have doubled recently, sees Russia behind many

By DEREK GATOPOULOS
Associated Press

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The top European Union cybersecurity official says that disruptive digital attacks have doubled in the 27-member bloc in recent months and election-related services are also being targeted. Many of the cyberattacks are traced to Russia-backed groups. European Union Agency for Cybersecurity chief Juhan Lepassaar told The Associated Press in an interview late Tuesday that attacks with geopolitical motives have steadily risen since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. He made the warning before the upcoming European Parliament election. The EU agency which is also known as ENISA has led exercises to protect the bloc’s election infrastructure for the past seven months.