Emissions Trading Scheme suffers cyber attack
8 Feb 2010
Brussels – The European Commission has reported widespread cyber attacks on EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) registries last week. Fake emails, it reported, asked users to log on to a malicious website and disclose their user ID code and password. The site, it added, appeared genuine by using the Commission’s visual identity.
According to the EC, the ’phishing’ attack on the EU ETS registries took place on 28 Jan. Following alerts by authorities in The Netherlands and Norway, the Commission informed all Member States and asked them to take immediate security measures, though a “limited number” of fraudulent transactions were performed as the fake website
The security of the Community Registry and the Community Independent Transaction Log were not compromised, insisted the Commission. now revising its internet security guidelines. However, the EC said it is supporting Member States in their investigations of the fake transactions and has also started immediate investigations of the fake website and is working on closing it down.
The Commission said it intends to review the security measures for ETS registries and is preparing revised security guidelines for registries and an action plan aiming at harmonising their approach in case of future such incidents. These measures will be as well as legislation to improve cyber security standards ahead of the inclusion of the aviation sector in the Community Registry in 2012.
