The International Criminal Court (ICC) announced on Monday that it is investigating a "sophisticated and targeted" cyberattack that struck its systems last week.
In an official statement, the ICC confirmed that its security systems detected and contained the breach. The incident marks the second cyberattack of its kind against the Court in recent years.
"This incident was quickly identified and mitigated thanks to our monitoring and response systems. We are conducting a comprehensive assessment across the organization and taking steps to minimize any potential impact," the Court stated.
The ICC emphasized the importance of transparency with the public and its member states and called for continued support to counter such cyber threats.
At this time, the Court has not disclosed specific details about the nature of the attack, its origin, or whether any data was accessed or stolen. When asked for further information, ICC spokesperson Fadi El-Abdallah said no additional comments would be made beyond the official statement.
This incident follows a previous cyberattack reported in September 2023. A month after that breach, the Court disclosed that its systems had been targeted in an espionage operation. The evidence suggested a deliberate attempt to undermine the Court's mission, though the perpetrators were not identified and there was no confirmed data breach.
The 2023 breach occurred during a period of heightened security threats. According to the ICC, the organization was facing frequent cyberattacks and had recently thwarted an attempt by a foreign intelligence officer to infiltrate the Court by posing as an intern.
Founded in 2002 and headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands, the ICC prosecutes serious international crimes such as genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.
In recent high-profile actions, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin in March 2023 for crimes related to the war in Ukraine and for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in November for alleged war crimes during the conflict in Palestine
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