Brazil's government says a 'probable' cyberattack breached the national emergency alert system, sending fake 'extreme alert' messages with the word 'misantropia' (misanthropy) to millions of phones across the country on June 20. The breach, which exploited the same infrastructure designed to warn of natural disasters, risks panic and erosion of public trust, authorities warned.
Brazil's government said a 'probable' cyberattack breached its national emergency alert system on June 20, sending fake 'extreme alert' messages to millions of mobile phones nationwide. The messages carried the word 'misantropia' (misanthropy) and were sent through the same infrastructure used for real warnings of natural disasters like floods and landslides. Authorities expressed concern that the incident could cause panic, erode public trust in the alert system, and create 'alert fatigue' that would make future real warnings less effective. The breach exposes vulnerabilities in critical public warning infrastructure. As of Saturday evening, no group has claimed responsibility, and the investigation is ongoing.
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