Croatian institutions are grappling with a surge in cyber attacks, Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Tomo Medved said, highlighting efforts by the Security Intelligence Agency (SOA) and the SK@UT centre to protect state bodies and critical infrastructure.

"It is extremely difficult to completely prevent all such attacks. Yesterday at KBC Zagreb, we demonstrated our reaction capabilities," Medved stated regarding DDoS hacker attacks on Croatian institutions on June 26, rendering them inaccessible for several hours. In the past five days, several similar attacks occurred.

Medved pointed out that cyberattacks on Croatian institutions and businesses have escalated since the onset of the conflict in Ukraine. "We witness these attacks almost every day," he said.

The Russian hacker group NoName057(16) claimed responsibility for disabling numerous Croatian institution websites via its Telegram channel. It listed targeted sites including the Ministry of Finance, Tax Administration, CNB and the Zagreb Stock Exchange, but did not claim the attack on KBC Zagreb.

Minister of Justice, Administration and Digital Transformation Damir Habijan confirmed that services were quickly restored and are now functioning normally. Forensic investigations are underway to determine any potential impacts.

Croatia has adopted the European Union's NIS2 Directive on cybersecurity. This has enhanced the capabilities of the SOA and its SK@UT centre, which now protect all state bodies and critical infrastructure.

Despite these measures, Medved pointed out the challenges in completely repelling such attacks. He stressed the importance of fostering a strong security culture among all employees.

Gordan Akrap, an expert in information sciences, explained that DDoS attacks work by overwhelming websites by connecting numerous infected computers. He mentioned Cloudflare as a potential solution to prevent such disruptions.

Medved spoke to reporters after submitting his candidacy for deputy president of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) in the party's internal elections. 

When asked about the re-election candidacy of President Zoran Milanovic— a rival to the HZD — Medved criticised Milanovic's tenure for constitutional violations and inappropriate public communication.