The government of New Caledonia has announced that the main internet service provider, OPT, was targeted last night by a cyber attack of “unprecedented force.”
The attack came just after it was announced that French President Emmanuel Macron would be visiting New Caledonia. The riots in Nouméa have been going on for ten days.
Millions of e-mails were sent simultaneously to one e-mail address,” explained government member Christopher Gyges, “the aim was to saturate the New Caledonian Internet network”. According to him “The State and the OPT managed to stop it before there was any significant damage”. “The e-mails came from several countries at the same time. The aim was to clog up the cable. The OPT services did what was necessary, to cut off the IP address that was targeted.”
Mails from abroad
The origin of the attack has not yet been determined. The Caledonian government is urging businesses to take extra care. Tips to protect businesses have been published on the government website. These cyber-attacks can take the form of malicious e-mails,” explains the Minister, “so we recommend that everyone exercise increased vigilance when using their e-mail accounts, whether professional or personal.
