VIDEO // Spokesman for Moldova's government says allegations by some politicians on election information system groundless

The Elections information system is under the control of the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) and is technically hosted by the Information Technology and Cyber Security Service (STISC), alongside 200 other public information systems. The spokesperson for the government, Daniel Voda, has made statements to this effect. He described the allegations of some politicians concerning the election information system as groundless. Voda emphasized that the system stayed 100 -per cent under CEC’s control, and the technical hosting by STISC was a standard security measure applied in all democratic states.

The government's spokesperson also said that STISC hosted over 200 information systems of public institutions, without having access to their content, including electoral data in this case.

“It's about a certified data center meant to protect the state's critical infrastructure from cyber-attacks. In recent years, the Elections information system has been the target of massive attacks, successfully repelled by authorities. At the same time, the Police monitor the online space, in order to combat manipulation and fraud attempts. The elections in Moldova will continue to be free, fair and secure. Claiming otherwise, without evidence, is a dangerous attempt to weaken confidence in democracy,” said Daniel Voda, the government's spokesperson.





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The position was expressed after today some political parties highlighted that the State Automated Information System Elections was supposedly "removed from CEC control" and transferred to STISC, which, in their opinion, would involve certain "fraud risks".

In these circumstances, CEC issued a press release today, clarifying that, for security reasons, the State Automated Information System Elections (SIAS "Elections"), which is an essential digital tool in the organization of elections and their holding, is hosted on the STISC platform. At the same time, CEC emphasized that the operation, integrity, access and use of the System remained under CEC’s management. Thus, according to the cited source, STISC’s responsibility is limited to hosting filters of information systems on its infrastructure.

“The decision to protect SIAS Elections through this measure was adopted in strict accordance with current legislation and is based on objective reasons for defending the electoral process's integrity against external interference,” said CEC.

As for the verification of the number of voters who voted, CEC dismissed "any possibility of data manipulation in the system, as the data can be verified based on the minutes drawn up by the polling stations' electoral offices.’’

“In this context, CEC denounces the dissemination of erroneous information and malicious interpretations concerning its independence. CEC considers that this false information propagated in the public space was a deliberate attack on democracy, aimed at discrediting the institution and gaining political advantages in the run-up to the parliamentary elections due on September 28,” concluded CEC.

At the same time, STISC informed that "hosting public institutions' information systems by the institution represents an essential measure for protecting the state's critical information infrastructure, in the context of the boosting of hybrid warfare and increasingly sophisticated cyber-attacks.’’

“The decision to host SIAS Elections in a certified government data center was a strategic one, ensuring the protection and resilience of the electoral system in a neutral and secure technical environment. STISC exclusively provides technical protection for the system, without access to data content or CEC's operational processes," emphasized STISC.

Currently, STISC hosts approximately 200 information systems of public entities.

According to STISC, since its implementation, SIAS Elections has been frequently targeted by cyber-attacks. “During the last election, multiple coordinated attacks on SIAS Elections were recorded, with intensification on the eve and on the election day, temporarily affecting connectivity between polling stations and central systems, both nationally and for polling stations from abroad. On October 20, 2024, Moldova's electoral system was targeted by a coordinated cyber-attack launched simultaneously from over 168,000 servers worldwide. STISC promptly intervened and successfully repelled this large-scale attack,” communicated STISC.

Hosting public institutions' information systems under the protection of national cyber security structures is a standard practice in democratic states, including NATO and EU member countries.