The Thai Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DES) has revealed that two-thirds of the 500 cyber-attacks on government websites last year were perpetrated by hackers who wanted to promote their online gambling services.
DES Minister Chaiwut Thanakhamanusorn explained the reason for the cyber-attacks, saying gambling sites embed their codes and scripts within public sector websites to expand hits and viewers. They are known to have operated within the websites of 20 ministries and private sector bodies, with educational sites and public health agencies as their main targets.
To address this issue, the National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA) has proposed both short-term and long-term prevention measures to the Cabinet. The NCSA has also relayed evidence of cyber-attacks to every internet provider so they can take down any websites or accounts found to be involved in hacking activities.
Additionally, the Police Cyber Taskforce (PCT) has been active in charging online gambling gangs that hack private sector websites, while advising administrators to assess the security of their websites and immediately resolve any detected hacking.
The government has emphasized that hacking government websites is a crime and the public should not be misled by online gambling ads that appear on these sites. The DES minister also warned the public not to click on suspicious URLs in emails or texts, and to report any suspicious activities to the authorities. (NNT)
