Transparency Maroc raises alarm over data breach at Moroccan Employment Ministry, CNSS

The Moroccan Association for the Fight Against Corruption, Transparency Maroc, has voiced concerns over the leak of personal data following cyberattacks targeting the Ministry of Employment and the National Social Security Fund (CNSS).

In a press release, the NGO warned that this unprecedented incident threatens «social and national peace» noting that the Constitution guarantees data protection, which is regulated by Law 09.08 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data. This «disregard for constitutional requirements» and for the law «raises many questions» about the possible exposure of further confidential data, the organization cautioned.

The association also condemned «the inappropriate way in which the affected institutions communicated with users». «Instead of offering reassurance and apologies to the insured and to businesses, they resorted to threats and intimidation, while the ministers responsible for overseeing the boards of directors failed to make any public appearances», the NGO added.

In this context, the association is demanding clear public communication about the government’s strategy for securing information systems, protecting personal data, and ensuring national data security. It also raised questions about how entities such as the National Commission for the Control of Personal Data Protection and the General Directorate of Information System Security are evaluated, given their role in supervising both public and, at times, private bodies that handle sensitive data.

Furthermore, the NGO called for accountability and transparency regarding the outcome of call for tenders No. 15/2021, issued in August 2021, which concerns support services for the CNSS. It stressed that, in accordance with Law 09.08, the results of this tender should have been published on the Fund’s official website.