The International Criminal Court (ICC) said that the serious cybersecurity incident it detected in September was an act of espionage.
In a statement on the Court’s website, it said the attack can be “interpreted as a serious attempt to undermine the Court’s mandate.”
The statement did not suggest a perpetrator, but the Court, which is based in The Hague in the Netherlands, said that Dutch law enforcement authorities are conducting a criminal investigation.
It is not clear what information, if any, was stolen during the incident. As part of its duties, the Court processes sensitive information relating to war crimes investigations, including data about witnesses who could be at risk if their identities were exposed.
“Should evidence be found that specific data entrusted to the Court has been compromised, those affected would be contacted immediately and directly by the Court,” the ICC stated.
As a result of the attack, the ICC said it was “identifying actions and procedures to be ready to respond to any potential repercussions from the cyber-attack including any potential security risk to victims and witnesses, Court officials and the Court’s operations.”
It noted that the attack comes at a time of “broader and heightened security concerns for the Court,” including threats against several of its elected officials.
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