Morocco reject Algerian hackers claim of data breach in cyberattack
Morocco’s Ministry of Economic Inclusion, Small Business, Employment, and Skills has firmly denied allegations that it suffered a significant data breach following claims made by Algerian hackers, as reported by the Moroccan government friendly HESPRESS on April 9th.
The group, which calls itself “Jabarout” (meaning “Might”), alleged in a recent Telegram post that it had successfully infiltrated the ministry’s website and leaked sensitive personal information belonging to thousands of Moroccan workers.
In an official statement issued to Hespress AR, the ministry confirmed that its institutional website, MIEPEEC, had indeed been the target of a cyberattack.
However, it categorically rejected the notion that any confidential data had been compromised as a result.
According to the ministry, the website functions primarily as an informational platform and does not contain any personal or professional databases.
“All content published on the website is already publicly available,” the ministry stated, emphasising, “the site does not host any professional or personal databases.”
It stressed that no sensitive data is stored or processed through the platform, thereby ruling out any possibility of a data leak originating from its systems.
The statement also dismissed any association between the alleged leaked documents and official ministry records, asserting that the files being circulated online “do not fall under the ministry’s purview.”
The hacker group claimed it had accessed salary declaration records from Morocco’s National Social Security Fund (CNSS) and presented the attack as an act of retaliation.
According to the group, the breach was in response to alleged Moroccan attempts to compromise Algerian governmental websites, including that of the state-run Algerian Press Service.
This incident occurs against a backdrop of escalating digital hostilities between Morocco and Algeria, mirroring broader geopolitical tensions between the two nations.
The ongoing dispute over Western Sahara, alongside Morocco’s normalisation of diplomatic ties with Israel, has further strained bilateral relations.
As of now, Moroccan authorities have not confirmed whether a formal investigation has been launched into the cyberattack.
Moroccan government denies data breach after Algerian hackers claim cyberattack.
HESPRESS. Maghrebi
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