Cyber Offensives by Pro-Russian Hackers Target Italian Ministries
A wave of DDoS attacks disrupts Italian governmental and institutional websites following President Zelensky's visit.
In a calculated digital offensive, the pro-Russian hacker group known as Noname057(16) orchestrated a series of Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks against key Italian ministry websites.
The targeted platforms included the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, as well as agencies like Consob, Carabinieri, the Navy, and the Air Force.
Additionally, transport companies such as Rome's Atac, Palermo's Amat, and Genoa's Amt were not spared.
This cyber offensive comes hot on the heels of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Rome.
The immediate response from Italy's National Cybersecurity Agency's Csirt team was crucial in mitigating the disruptions.
They assisted the affected institutions in restoring their services, employing strategies such as geofencing, which limits website access from specific geographical areas, including Russia.
The attacks, which started unusually early around 7-7.15 AM, caused limited disruptions, unlike past incidents by the same group.
On Telegram, the hackers criticized Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for her unwavering support for Ukraine, following her recent meeting with President Zelensky.
They sarcastically suggested Italy should focus on bolstering its own cybersecurity before extending aid to Ukraine.
Noname057(16) is known for its politically charged cyberattacks, having claimed responsibility for similar incidents across European, Ukrainian, and American websites since their emergence in March 2022.
Amid these hybrid warfare tactics, EU Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius underscored the need for a 'new generation of defence' against such non-traditional threats, referring to what experts term the 'Gerasimov doctrine.' This doctrine suggests a blend of conventional military tactics with cyber operations for destabilization purposes.
As cybersecurity threats evolve, the deployment of sophisticated tools, including artificial intelligence for enhanced attack capabilities, poses ongoing challenges for authorities globally.
The Noname057(16) collective exemplifies this complex digital battlefront, where actions are swift and impacts are designed to disrupt rather than breach data security.
Continued vigilance and adaptive defence strategies are imperative as governments and institutions navigate the intricate landscape of modern-day cyber threats.
The targeted platforms included the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, as well as agencies like Consob, Carabinieri, the Navy, and the Air Force.
Additionally, transport companies such as Rome's Atac, Palermo's Amat, and Genoa's Amt were not spared.
This cyber offensive comes hot on the heels of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Rome.
The immediate response from Italy's National Cybersecurity Agency's Csirt team was crucial in mitigating the disruptions.
They assisted the affected institutions in restoring their services, employing strategies such as geofencing, which limits website access from specific geographical areas, including Russia.
The attacks, which started unusually early around 7-7.15 AM, caused limited disruptions, unlike past incidents by the same group.
On Telegram, the hackers criticized Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for her unwavering support for Ukraine, following her recent meeting with President Zelensky.
They sarcastically suggested Italy should focus on bolstering its own cybersecurity before extending aid to Ukraine.
Noname057(16) is known for its politically charged cyberattacks, having claimed responsibility for similar incidents across European, Ukrainian, and American websites since their emergence in March 2022.
Amid these hybrid warfare tactics, EU Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius underscored the need for a 'new generation of defence' against such non-traditional threats, referring to what experts term the 'Gerasimov doctrine.' This doctrine suggests a blend of conventional military tactics with cyber operations for destabilization purposes.
As cybersecurity threats evolve, the deployment of sophisticated tools, including artificial intelligence for enhanced attack capabilities, poses ongoing challenges for authorities globally.
The Noname057(16) collective exemplifies this complex digital battlefront, where actions are swift and impacts are designed to disrupt rather than breach data security.
Continued vigilance and adaptive defence strategies are imperative as governments and institutions navigate the intricate landscape of modern-day cyber threats.
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