Morocco's PJD demands accountability after Algeria's cyberattack

The Justice and Development Party (PJD) in Morocco has raised alarms regarding a recent cyberattack that compromised the official website of the Ministry of Economic Integration, Small Enterprise, Employment, and Skills. Abdellah Bouanou, head of the PJD's parliamentary group, emphasized the attack's potential to jeopardize sensitive personal and professional data belonging to citizens and various institutions.

In a pointed inquiry directed at Younes Sekkouri, the Minister of Economic Inclusion, Bouanou stressed the serious implications of the breach for cybersecurity across governmental sectors. He demanded clarity on the circumstances surrounding the attack and the extent of the damage inflicted, alongside inquiries about future measures to enhance cybersecurity in this critical area.

The attack, which occurred on April 8, was linked to an Algerian hacking group known as “Jabaroot,” a name that signifies forcefulness and dominance. This group claimed responsibility for the breach as a form of retaliation against what they deemed “Moroccan harassment” of official Algerian social media accounts, citing the suspension of the Algerian Press Service's account on X.

The hackers released sensitive information reportedly belonging to thousands of Moroccan employers, impacting nearly 500,000 businesses registered with the National Social Security Fund (CNSS). They also disseminated a controversial map of North Africa, depicting a divided Morocco with its southern provinces represented as separate territory controlled by the separatist Polisario Front.

This incident is viewed as part of the ongoing tensions between Morocco and Algeria, largely fueled by Algeria's support for the Polisario Front, which has historically sought to undermine Morocco’s territorial integrity. Algeria maintains that it supports the Polisario Front’s quest for Sahara's independence; however, a declassified 1977 CIA document suggests that Algeria’s true aim is to establish a separatist republic in southern Morocco, thereby limiting Moroccan access to valuable economic resources.

As of now, the Ministry of Economic Integration's official website remains offline, and reports indicate that Moroccan hackers may be retaliating with counter-cyberattacks aimed at Algerian government sites and those linked to the Polisario Front.