Russia-linked hackers attack municipal surveillance systems

Hackers linked to Russia have repeatedly targeted surveillance systems and smart building controls in municipal infrastructure across several Latvian regions, LSM reported. CERT.LV deputy head Varis Teivāns said the incidents are not linked to the parliamentary elections.

Teivāns said the attacks involved cameras, surveillance systems and smart controls in municipal buildings. Communications associated with the attackers originated from Russian networks, he said. Their possible aims could include accessing cameras, acts of vandalism or replacing camera images with messages.

There have been up to five such incidents across several regions. None involved election systems or polling stations, though CERT.LV experts are monitoring them closely.

No attempts to influence the elections have been detected during the pre-election period, Teivāns said. Based on experience in other countries, however, authorities expect hacker activity could increase on election day. He added that cyberattacks could not affect the legitimacy of the vote because ballots in Latvia are counted by hand.