Protei

Protei, a Russian telecom company specializing in surveillance and web-filtering technologies (including deep packet inspection systems), suffered a cyber breach resulting in its website being defaced on November 8 and unauthorized data theft from its servers. The company, which operates across multiple countries (Bahrain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Pakistan, and central Africa) and provides telecommunications infrastructure, video conferencing, and internet connectivity solutions, had its systems compromised by unknown attackers. The defacement was temporary, with the website restored shortly after, but the stolen data’s scope remains undisclosed. Given Protei’s role in enabling government-level surveillance and censorship, the breach raises concerns about potential exposure of sensitive technical or operational details, client data, or proprietary systems used by its global customers including state-affiliated entities. The attack underscores vulnerabilities in a company whose core products are designed to monitor and control digital communications, amplifying risks of secondary exploits or reputational damage among its high-profile clientele.

Source: https://databreaches.net/2025/11/18/surveillance-tech-provider-protei-was-hacked-its-data-stolen-and-its-website-defaced/

TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/protei

"id": "pro2592025111825",
"linkid": "protei",
"type": "Cyber Attack",
"date": "11/2025",
"severity": "100",
"impact": "6",
"explanation": "Attack threatening the economy of geographical region"

{'affected_entities': [{'industry': ['telecommunications',
                                     'surveillance technology',
                                     'web filtering'],
                        'location': {'founded_in': 'Russia',
                                     'headquarters': 'Jordan'},
                        'name': 'Protei',
                        'type': 'private company'}],
 'data_breach': {'data_exfiltration': True},
 'date_publicly_disclosed': '2023-11-08',
 'description': 'A Russian telecom company, Protei, which develops technology '
                'for web surveillance and censorship, was hacked. Its website '
                'was defaced on November 8, and data was stolen from its '
                'servers. The company provides telecommunications systems, '
                'surveillance equipment, and web-filtering products (including '
                'deep packet inspection) to clients in dozens of countries, '
                'including Bahrain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Pakistan, and '
                'central Africa. The website was restored shortly after the '
                'defacement.',
 'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': 'potential (due to defacement and data '
                                       'theft)',
            'data_compromised': True,
            'downtime': 'brief (website defacement period)',
            'systems_affected': ['website', 'servers']},
 'investigation_status': 'unclear (timeline and method of hack unknown)',
 'references': [{'source': 'TechCrunch'}],
 'response': {'containment_measures': ['website restoration']},
 'title': 'Protei Telecom Surveillance Company Hacked and Defaced',
 'type': ['cyberattack', 'website defacement', 'data breach']}