Brazil’s civil protection agency said on Saturday it had temporarily suspended its mobile emergency alert system after a suspected cyberattack triggered a series of false alarms across the country overnight.The alerts were issued overnight between Friday and Saturday, causing widespread confusion and prompting complaints from residents who said they were woken by loud emergency notices. The system is typically reserved for major disasters and public safety emergencies.The agency said in a statement that the suspicious message was issued as an “extreme alert” and contained the word “misanthropy,” which refers to hatred of humanity. Authorities believe the notification may be the result of a hack, AFP reported.According to the Civil Protection Department, these false alarms were activated remotely by individuals outside the national protection and civil protection system and transmitted to various regions in Brazil.The agency said it had asked federal police to help investigate the incident. It added that the alert network will remain offline until additional security measures are put in place and the system can be safely restored.
