The Foundation For The Defense Of Citizens Against State Abuses (FACIAS) has issued a call to the future executive, emphasising the urgent need for the prompt dissemination of regulations that will operationalise the legislation, particularly those pertaining to national security and the safeguarding of citizens' rights. It is crucial to emphasise that the prompt promulgation and enforcement of the regulations outlined in Law 58/2023 concerning cyber security and cyber defence, and not with a delay exceeding one year, has the potential to avert cyber attacks of the kind witnessed recently during the election period.
Adopted on 15 March 2023, Law No. 58/2023 on Cyber Security and Cyber Defense remained only on paper, having been blocked by the Government's refusal to adopt the necessary rules for its implementation, which, according to the law, should have been issued by June 2023. FACIAS formally requested that the Government draft these rules with haste, but this request was ignored. Consequently, FACIAS initiated legal proceedings against the Government, seeking the court's intervention to mandate the adoption of these regulations, which would render the law enforceable.
In the wake of FACIAS's representations, the Government, through the auspices of the Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitalization, adopted Government Decision No. 8311/2024 on 22 July 2024. This ruling elucidated the entities responsible for law enforcement and the measures to be implemented for the safeguarding of cyberspace. Had this measure been implemented in a timely manner, it could have helped to prevent the recent cyber-attacks that have targeted Romania's electoral process.
The Special Telecommunications Service (STS) has reported a series of cyber-attacks on Romanian state government systems involved in the electoral process. In a statement issued on 28th November 2024, the STS stated that "during the electoral process, DDOS-type cyber-attacks were identified on the IT&C infrastructure, as well as on other resources in the governmental sphere".
These attacks underline the need for effective regulations to enhance Romania's cyber security. FACIAS believes that any delay in implementing the legislation could jeopardize citizens' safety.