Jordan’s Minister of State for Media Affairs, Faisal Shboul, said on Sunday, February 20, that the country was subjected to 897 cyberattacks in 2021.
“Those attacks were documented by the National Cyber Security Center, excluding attacks that were not documented and competent authorities receive notification on them,” Shboul said in a press conference at the Prime Ministry.
He was accompanied by the head of the National Cyber Security Center, Ahmed Melhem, as they discussed the country’s efforts in the cybersecurity field.
Shboul said countries around the world, including Jordan, are subjected to increasing cyberattacks, varying in their numbers and targets.
He indicated that the attacks focused on sovereign institutions, financial and economic targets, and even individuals.
He also noted that the severity of these attacks ranged from complex attacks — which included attacks launched states and organizations — to attacks carried out by individuals and amateurs.
In this regard, Shboul pointed out that Jordan was subjected to 240 complex cyberattacks, 27 percent of last year’s attacks.
He indicated that these attacks targeted sovereign, official, and security institutions, as well as private-sector companies and individuals.
Meanwhile, Melhem said the data confirmed that most of the cyberattacks on Jordan last year were launched from 40 countries around the world.
He said identifying the countries from where the attacks were launched was difficult, as the attackers might use an infrastructure in any country, and that the attacks targeted the internal network and operating systems of a number of official institutions and individuals.
Melhem said that of the 897 cyber incidents registered by the center in 2021, 34 percent were related to users, 27 percent were from countries or groups linked to countries, 26 percent were related to cybercrimes, and 13 percent were related to extremist or terrorist organizations.
He indicated that among key targets of cybersecurity attacks are military and security institutions, the financial sector, telecommunications companies, the energy sector and electricity companies, government institutions, and embassies abroad.