Hackers have breached Morocco’s social security database, leaking sensitive personal information of millions of citizens on the messaging platform Telegram.
Morocco’s social security fund, which administers pensions and insurance benefits to private sector workers ranging from factory laborers to corporate executives, confirmed the breach in an official statement.
The agency indicated that preliminary investigations suggest hackers successfully bypassed its security systems, though it claimed many of the posted documents were “misleading, inaccurate, or incomplete.”
The perpetrators behind the attack explicitly stated their actions were in retaliation for alleged Moroccan “harassment” of Algeria on social media platforms.
They further threatened additional cyberattacks if Algerian sites became targets of Moroccan hackers, suggesting a pattern of digital conflict between the two nations.
Moroccan media outlets have attributed the attack to Algerian hackers, framing it as the latest episode in an ongoing cyberwar.
The leaked information includes particularly sensitive data that exposes significant inequalities within Moroccan society. The trove reportedly contains unverified financial information on executives from state-owned companies, political parties, figures connected to the royal family’s holding company and charity fund, and even the Israeli liaison office in Rabat.
In response to the breach, Morocco’s National Commission for the Protection of Personal Data announced on Thursday it stands ready to investigate complaints from individuals whose personal information was compromised in the leak.
The cyberattack comes amid historically poor relations between Algeria and Morocco. Diplomatic ties have deteriorated to the point where both countries have withdrawn ambassadors, closed embassies, and restricted access to their respective airspaces.
A key source of tension remains Algeria’s support for the Polisario Front, which seeks independence for Western Sahara against Morocco’s territorial claims.
Mustapha Baitas, a Moroccan government spokesperson, said the attack was motivated by growing international support for Morocco’s position in the Western Sahara dispute, claiming these “hostile actions” were attempts to harm Morocco by its “enemies.”
The situation has drawn international attention, with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently expressing support for Morocco’s plan regarding the disputed territory — a statement that prompted criticism from Algeria on Thursday.
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