Council websites in the UK suffered cyber attacks claimed by pro-Russian hackers, causing temporary disruptions.
- The group NoName057(16) announced their involvement on X, citing political motives against UK authorities.
- These attacks predominantly utilised DDoS (distributed denial-of-service) methods to flood website traffic.
- The National Cyber Security Centre confirmed guidance was offered to impacted councils.
- No personal data was reported compromised during these attacks, despite access issues.
Council websites across the UK, including those in Salford, Bury, Trafford, and Tameside, were affected by a series of cyber attacks. The group, known as NoName057(16), claimed responsibility for these disruptions on the social media platform X. According to the group, the attack was in protest of what they termed as ‘Russophobic UK authorities’ supporting the ‘criminal Kiev regime.’
The method of attack primarily involved distributed denial-of-service (DDoS), a type of cyber assault that overwhelms a website with excessive traffic, rendering it inaccessible to legitimate users. Although DDoS attacks are typically low in sophistication, their capacity to disrupt services can be significant, as stated by a spokesperson from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). In response, NCSC provided guidance to the affected local councils to manage the situation effectively.
Despite the temporary nature of the disruption, councils reported that no personal data had been compromised. The attacks resulted in limited access to online services, which was swiftly addressed with the assistance of cybersecurity protocols from national agencies.
Pro-Russian hackers have briefly disrupted UK council websites, highlighting ongoing cybersecurity concerns.
