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ISTANBUL

Lithuania recorded a 63% surge in cyber incidents in 2024 compared to the previous year, according to the country’s newly released National Cybersecurity Status Report on Wednesday.

Prepared by Lithuania's Defense Ministry in cooperation with national institutions, the report states that the National Cyber Security Centre (NKSC) registered 3,874 cyber incidents last year, up from 2,378 in 2023, according to the public broadcaster LRT.

However, the authorities clarified that the increase was not due to heightened threats but rather improved awareness and reporting practices.

"The rise is not due to a heightened threat level, but rather to growing public awareness and a better understanding of the need to report cyber incidents," the report said.

Most of the incidents were classified as minor or moderate, though three major cases were linked to foreign state-backed groups targeting Lithuanian networks for long-term goals such as espionage.

The report identifies malicious social engineering, where attackers aim to obtain sensitive information, as the leading cause of cyber incidents. These types of attacks accounted for 59% of all recorded incidents in 2024, compared to 38% in 2023.

“The military says there has also been growing fearmongering about possible World War III or a nuclear conflict,” the report highlighted.

Authorities expect that state-controlled or state-influenced actors will continue these hostile activities in 2025, aiming to weaken trust in the Lithuanian Armed Forces and NATO while justifying their own actions by blaming the "collective West."