The Minister for Digital Transformation, Stefan Andonovski, during his appearance on the programme "Night Studio" on 4TV, informed that over the past weekend, the state infrastructure was targeted by a serious and sophisticated cyber attack.
It was a DDoS attack aimed at the websites of the Government, ministries and the national portal uslugi.gov.mk, during which millions of requests, spread over an extended period, were made in an attempt to induce overload and disrupt the availability of the systems.
Minister Andonovski emphasized that the institutions recognized the threat in a timely manner and reacted in a coordinated manner, which is why the attack was brought under control without compromising data security.
"There will be attacks. We must remain vigilant. As a NATO member, we must act with the utmost seriousness when it comes to protecting the digital infrastructure and data that are part of state systems," urged Minister Andonovski.
According to the conducted checks, no data was infiltrated, stolen or deleted. State data remains protected, and the attack failed to breach the security mechanisms established to protect the systems.
As a preventive measure, the system was temporarily placed in a protected mode for about 20 minutes, in order to conduct a check and scan of the situation. Upon completion of the checks, the systems were returned to normal operation.
Initial analyses indicate that the attacks predominantly originated from outside, via proxy servers, in an effort to conceal the true traces. The case has been handed over to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which will lead the further investigation.
Andonovski emphasized that this attack represents yet another confirmation that cybersecurity is not just a technical issue, but a matter of national security, institutional maturity and trust in digital services.
"This was a serious test for the system, but also proof that the state is building capacities for a rapid, coordinated and efficient response. I wish to commend the team at the Ministry, the government CIRT and all economic operators with whom we cooperate. The threat was recognized in a timely manner, the coordination was swift, and the systems were restored to normal," highlighted Andonovski.
The Ministry of Digital Transformation continues to strengthen national cybersecurity capacities, through the implementation of the National Cybersecurity Strategy 2025–2028, the establishment of a clear legal framework and the development of institutional mechanisms for monitoring, coordination and rapid response to incidents.
Cyber attacks are a reality faced by all modern states. Therefore, digital transformation must go hand in hand with strong cyber protection, prepared institutions and continuous monitoring of the situation in the digital sphere.