EU Hack Hullabaloo: Names Exposed?

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The European Commission has found itself in a bit of a cybercaprice, a curious incident that looks as though someone took a fancy to the scaffolding that keeps staff mobile devices in trim and decided to dance about it a shade more than was strictly prudent.

Traces of this digital contretemps were spotted on January 30 within the central engine that manages the mobile-device setup, like a stowaway gremlin ticking time on a clock.

The breach, so far, may have permitted access to the names and mobile numbers of some staff members, which is a bit like discovering the guest list and telephone numbers at a party you weren’t invited to.

Said the Commission,

“On 30 January, the European Commission’s central infrastructure managing mobile devices identified traces of a cyber-attack, which may have resulted in access to staff names and mobile numbers of some of its staff members.”

The response, one gathers, was as spry as a cat with its fur on end: the incident was contained and the afflicted systems cleaned within nine hours. Officials add that there is no evidence that staff mobile devices themselves were compromised, which is a relief akin to finding a spare umbrella in a rack when the heavens have opened.

The institution says it treats the security and resilience of its internal systems with the sort of gravity one normally reserves for a Sunday roast, and will keep a keen weather eye on the situation. The incident will be fully reviewed and used to inform ongoing efforts to strengthen cybersecurity capabilities, because one never knows when the next cyber-gargoyle will come rattling at the door.

The Commission remains committed to reinforcing the EU’s cybersecurity resilience.

CERT-EU, which serves as the central cybersecurity service for EU institutions and agencies, provides around-the-clock threat monitoring and rapid incident response under the watchful aegis of the Interinstitutional Cybersecurity Board.

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2026-02-10 16:22