Adess cyber assault by hacker group ‘Blackcat’

Santo Domingo.- The Social Subsidies Administrator (Adess) announced on Thursday that its Data Center experienced a cyber attack. The government institution revealed that the attack was orchestrated by the international cybercriminal organization known as “Blackcat.”

The assault temporarily impacted the operating systems of the institution, as confirmed by Adess. However, they reassured the public through an official statement, stating that the prompt response of their information security teams successfully safeguarded the systems and maintained control over the data within.

In a message of confidence to beneficiaries and the general public, Adess expressed gratitude for the close collaboration with the Government Office of Information and Communication Technologies (OGTIC), the National Security Incident Response Team Cyber Security (CSIRT-RD) of the National Cybersecurity Center (CNCS), and other expert authorities. Immediate measures were taken to contain and mitigate potential negative impacts, ensuring the seamless continuity of operations.

Anthony Pérez, a spokesperson for Adess, confirmed the swift response in the document, emphasizing that the technological systems have become more robust with the replacement of over 80% of strip-to-chip cards. This enhancement in security measures provides assurance for secure transactions. The statement further extended an invitation to beneficiaries of social protection programs to participate in the organized change operations taking place across the national territory.

Despite the cyber incident, Adess underscored that the payment schedule for various social subsidies remains unaffected. The entity assured that “all scheduled payments will continue as planned, without any interruption.”