YouTube Presidency: Official Account Changes
- The Costa Rican Presidency reported Friday that it's YouTube account,@presidenciadelarepublicacr,was hacked.
- According too a statement from the Presidential House, the cyberattack occurred Friday.
- The account's profile image was replaced with one bearing the name "Strategy ₿," seemingly linked to bitcoin.
Costa Rican Presidency Reports YouTube Account Hack
Table of Contents
- Costa Rican Presidency Reports YouTube Account Hack
- Costa Rica Cyberattacks: A Growing Threat to Institutions
- Q&A
- What happened to the Costa Rican Presidency’s YouTube account?
- What action is being taken to recover the hacked YouTube account?
- What other Costa Rican institutions have been targeted by cyberattacks?
- How frequent are cyberattacks in Costa Rica?
- What is the estimated financial impact of cyberattacks in Costa Rica?
- What are some past major cyberattacks in Costa Rica?
- Summary of Recent Cyberattacks in Costa Rica
- Q&A
Published:
The Costa Rican Presidency reported Friday that it’s YouTube account,@presidenciadelarepublicacr,was hacked.
According too a statement from the Presidential House, the cyberattack occurred Friday.
The account’s profile image was replaced with one bearing the name “Strategy ₿,” seemingly linked to bitcoin.
Any publication that has been posted today, or that might potentially be posted through the channel we officially use, does not originate from the Presidency of the Republic.
Presidential house staff are collaborating with the Ministry of Science and technology (MICITT) to recover the account.
Recent Cyberattacks
The Presidency joins a growing list of Costa Rican institutions targeted by cyberattacks.
In November, the Costa Rican Petroleum Refinery (Recope) suffered a cyberattack that forced it to maintain manual operations for fuel tank management.
The General Directorate of Migration and Foreigners (DGME) and the private dialog company Repretel have also been targeted.
In November 2023, MICITT reported approximately 2,900 cyberattack attempts per minute in Costa Rica, targeting companies, public institutions, citizens, essential services, and other entities.
It is estimated that a prosperous cyberattack results in losses of $1.5 million per minute.
Costa Rica Cyberattacks: A Growing Threat to Institutions
Q&A
Here’s a breakdown of recent cyberattacks in Costa Rica to help you understand the current threat landscape.
What happened to the Costa Rican Presidency’s YouTube account?
The Costa Rican Presidency’s official YouTube account, @presidenciadelarepublicacr, was hacked on Friday, March 21, 2025. The account’s profile image was replaced with one bearing the name “Strategy ₿,” seemingly linked to bitcoin. The Presidential House released a statement indicating that any publications made through the compromised channel were not authorized adn did not originate from the Presidency.
What action is being taken to recover the hacked YouTube account?
Presidential house staff are working in collaboration with the Ministry of Science and Technology (MICITT) to recover the hacked YouTube account.
What other Costa Rican institutions have been targeted by cyberattacks?
The Costa Rican Presidency’s YouTube account is just the latest in a series of cyberattacks targeting various institutions in Costa Rica:
Costa Rican Petroleum Refinery (Recope): Suffered a cyberattack in November, which forced them to resort to manual operations for fuel tank management.
General directorate of Migration and Foreigners (DGME): Targeted in a cyberattack.
* Repretel: A private dialog company also targeted.
How frequent are cyberattacks in Costa Rica?
Cyberattacks are a significant and persistent issue in Costa Rica. In November 2023, MICITT reported approximately 2,900 cyberattack attempts per minute targeting companies, public institutions, citizens, essential services, and other entities.
What is the estimated financial impact of cyberattacks in Costa Rica?
A single triumphant cyberattack is estimated to result in losses of $1.5 million per minute.
What are some past major cyberattacks in Costa Rica?
While not mentioned in the provided article, it’s significant to understand the scale of previous attacks. In May 2022, costa Rica declared a national emergency due to a series of attacks by the Conti ransomware group targeting multiple government bodies.
Summary of Recent Cyberattacks in Costa Rica
| Institution/Entity | Type of Attack | Impact |
| :——————————- | :———————————– | :———————————————————————– |
| Costa Rican Presidency (YouTube) | Account Hack | Unauthorized publications, account recovery in progress |
| Recope | Cyberattack | Forced manual operations for fuel tank management |
| DGME | Cyberattack | Details not specified |
| Repretel | cyberattack | Details not specified |
| Overall (November 2023) | Cyberattack attempts | Approximately 2,900 attempts per minute, $1.5 million loss per successful attack |
| Costa Rica (May 2022) | Ransomware (Conti Group) | National Emergency, Attack on Government Bodies |