Cyberattack targets Vodafone Portugal, disrupts services

Vodafone Portugal, one of the country's leading telecommunications companies, said Tuesday it had been hacked though no confidential customer data was compromised.

The company said in a statement Tuesday that "a deliberate and malicious cyberattack aimed at causing damage and disruption" was underway.

The attack late Monday affected the company's 4G and 5G services, fixed line and SMS services, and digital and voice customer services, the company said. Some ATMs also briefly stopped working, it said.

The attack affected millions of individuals, businesses and public services, including ambulance services, fire departments and hospitals, Vodafone Portugal CEO Mário Vaz said. He said emergency services were given priority in efforts to restore communications.

He told reporters his company had received no ransom demand from whoever was behind the attack.

"The attack sought to make (Vodafone Portugal) inoperative," he said. He declined to provide details of the investigation launched by the company and police.

Vodafone Portugal provides fixed and mobile telephone services, texting, internet and TV products.

The company says it provides fiber services to 3.4 million Portuguese homes and companies and has 4.7 million cellphone customers. Services were gradually being restored, the company said, but a return to normal would be slow.

By early Tuesday, the company said it had restored mobile voice services, while national and international teams and consultants were working to bring back other services.

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