The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has been the target of a massive cyberattack this week, the Geneva-based organisation said on Thursday.
A cyberattack is any offensive maneuver that targets computer information systems, computer networks, infrastructures, or personal computer devices.
The ICRC said personal data and confidential information of more than 515,000 “highly vulnerable’’ people were compromised in the hack of data from at least 60 of the humanitarian agency’s national societies around the world.
Those affected included missing people, people in detention, and people separated from their families due to conflict, migration, and disaster.
The ICRC said it was concerned that the data could be made public or misused.
ICRC’s Director-General, Robert Mardini, said “we are all appalled and perplexed that this humanitarian information will be targeted and compromised.
“This cyber-attack puts vulnerable people, those already in need of humanitarian services, at further risk.’’
The ICRC boss added that society did not know who was responsible or why the hackers targeted them.
Mardini appealed to the hackers not to pass on the information obtained, saying “the real people, the real families behind the information you now have are among the world’s least powerful.
“Please do the right thing. Do not share, sell, leak, or otherwise use this data.’’
