Cyberattack targets Romanian Central Depository investor portal

Romania's Central Depository said a cyberattack targeted its Online Services for Investors application, while core securities settlement and registry systems continued operating normally, according to a statement carried by Știrile ProTV.

The operator, which provides services connected to the Bucharest Stock Exchange, said it identified the attack on the day it occurred and began investigating and remediating the incident.

The affected application helps Romanian individual investors create accounts and request some depository services online. The company said the incident did not change or expose settled transaction data or securities holdings in its core systems.

Central Depository said investors remained able to access its services through ordinary communication channels, including post and in-person visits to its office, while the online application was affected.

The operator said it informed competent authorities and was cooperating with their inquiries. It did not identify the attackers, disclose their motive or give a complete assessment of the affected application.

The reports established an attack against an auxiliary application rather than a compromise of all systems at the Bucharest Stock Exchange. The company's assurance concerning settlement and registry systems was an official statement, not an independent forensic finding.

The incident matters to investors because access to an online account service was disrupted even as the operator said trading-related settlement functions were unaffected. Further disclosures would be needed to determine whether personal account information was accessed.