In Unprecedented Cyberattack, Hackers Successfully Breach Morocco’s Social Security Database
RABAT, Morocco—Morocco’s social security agency disclosed that a significant amount of data was stolen from its systems in a cyberattack this week, resulting in the leakage of personal information on the messaging platform Telegram.
The social security fund of the North African kingdom manages pensions and insurance benefits for millions of private sector workers, ranging from assembly line workers to corporate executives. In a statement on Wednesday, the agency indicated that initial investigations suggested the breach occurred due to hackers bypassing its security protocols.
While the agency did not specify the party responsible for the leak, it also noted that many of the posted documents were deemed “misleading, inaccurate, or incomplete.”
The hackers behind the leak on Telegram claimed that the attack was a response to alleged Moroccan “harassment” of Algeria on social media, promising further cyber assaults if Algerian sites were targeted.
The Moroccan media have linked the attack to Algerian hackers, portraying it as part of a broader cyber conflict between the two nations.
Relations between Algeria and Morocco have recently deteriorated to historic lows, resulting in the withdrawal of ambassadors, closure of embassies, and airspace restrictions. Algeria’s backing of the Polisario Front, a pro-independence movement engaged in a dispute with Morocco over the Western Sahara, has been a key factor driving the tensions.
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Some of the disclosed information touches on sensitive topics in Morocco. The leaked documents include salary details that, if accurate, highlight significant disparities that persist in Morocco despite its economic advancements. The information revealed unverified financial data about state-owned company executives, political party members, individuals connected to the royal family’s business and charity ventures, and the Israeli liaison office in Rabat.
Morocco’s National Commission for the Protection of Personal Data announced that it was prepared to investigate grievances from individuals affected by the leak.
Mustapha Baitas, the government spokesperson for Morocco, associated the cyberattack with the purported increase in global support for Morocco in the conflict, which he believes has unsettled the country’s adversaries to the extent of resorting to hostile activities.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently expressed backing for Morocco’s proposal concerning the disputed territory, a stance that Algeria criticized. Meanwhile, during his tenure, President Donald Trump shifted the longstanding U.S. position in 2020 to endorse Morocco’s sovereignty over the region, although President Joe Biden’s administration has neither reversed nor explicitly supported this policy.
By Sam Metz
