Pro-Russian hacker group targets critical infrastructure and public services

Date:
Fri, 22 Nov 2024 21:01:00 +0000

Description:
Wave of DDoS attacks from pro-Russian hacker group targets major corporations
and government entities in Taiwan.

FULL STORY

In an apparent escalation of recent cyber warfare, Taiwans government and
major corporations have been targeted by a second wave of Distributed Denial
of Service ( DDoS ) attacks by the pro-Russian hacker group NoName057. 

These attacks, which began in early September 2024 and surged again in early
October, have affected a wide range of companies including several high-tech
firms and critical infrastructure organizations. 

The most recent wave of attacks occurred from October 5 to 6, affecting
several major companies such as Formosa Plastics, Wistron, and United
Microelectronics, all of whom reported their websites were targeted by DDoS
attacks, but were quick to restore services and resume normal operations.

Widespread targets 

This second wave of DDoS attacks appears to be a continuation of earlier 
cyber incidents that occurred in September 2024. NoName057 has aggressively
targeted Taiwan, claiming responsibility for multiple cyber-attacks. These
attacks have also expanded beyond the corporate sector to include essential
public services and government entities. 

According to NoName057, targets over the first weekend of October included
municipal governments, public offices, judicial units, and airports such as
Taoyuan International and Songshan Airports. Furthermore, the group claimed
attacks on key government databases, including the National Legal Database,
showcasing the hackers intent to disrupt critical infrastructure in Taiwan. 

Although not all organizations have officially disclosed that they were
targeted, there were clear signs of disruption. Companies and organizations
such as IC design company Shichi, various judicial units and Shixin-KY were
also hit by the attack. However, by the evening of October 7, Shixin-KY
announced that its website was functioning normally again. 

These attacks are not isolated incidents, as NoName057 has a long history of
launching cyber-attacks against governments and enterprises across various
countries, including Ukraine, France, Lithuania and Czechia. 

Before its October attacks on Taiwan, the group targeted Austria and Israel,
emphasizing the widespread nature of their malicious activities. Their 
attacks are usually aimed at disrupting essential services, including
government websites, public utilities, and financial institutions. 

In 2022, during the visit of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan, a
similar wave of DDoS attacks hit government departments and private companies
alike. Likewise, Taiwans hosting providers experienced substantial disruption
in 2020 due to cyber-attacks, and in 2017, several brokerage websites faced
significant downtime due to similar DDoS activities. 

Via ITHome

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Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/pro-russian-hacker-group-targets-critic
al-infrastructure-and-public-services

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