European and U.S. legislation enforcement have disrupted the operations of NoName057(16), the pro-Russian hacker group recognized for launching large-scale distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) assaults in opposition to Ukraine and its allies.
In a joint worldwide effort referred to as Operation Eastwood, police focused greater than 100 servers allegedly utilized by the group and took down a significant a part of its central infrastructure, Europol stated in an announcement on Wednesday.
Germany issued six arrest warrants for Russian nationals believed to be concerned within the group’s management, together with two suspected ringleaders. Since November 2023, German authorities have recorded 14 waves of assaults affecting greater than 250 entities.
In whole, seven worldwide arrest warrants have been issued, with some suspects now listed on Europol’s “Most Needed” web site. Authorities additionally contacted greater than 1,100 alleged supporters of NoName057(16) — primarily Russian-speaking sympathizers — by way of encrypted messaging apps, warning them of potential felony legal responsibility below nationwide legal guidelines.
The group used pro-Russian channels, boards, and area of interest discussion groups on social media and messaging apps to share calls to motion, submit tutorials and updates, and to recruit volunteers. Contributors typically invited mates or contacts from gaming or hacking boards, forming tight-knit recruitment circles.
Volunteers had been rewarded with cryptocurrency, public recognition, and digital badges — just like how rewards work in video video games. Officers stated these ways helped appeal to and preserve youthful folks concerned by selling the concept that they had been defending their nation on-line.
NoName057(16) emerged on the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and is thought for coordinating comparatively easy however disruptive DDoS assaults, typically carried out with assist from a whole bunch of volunteers. Along with a community of greater than 4,000 supporters, the group constructed a botnet comprising a number of hundred servers to amplify its assaults, authorities stated.
In July 2023, Spanish police arrested three alleged members of the group suspected of taking part in DDoS assaults focusing on public establishments and strategic sectors in Spain and different NATO nations.
The group has primarily focused European nations, together with Poland, Czechia, Lithuania, and Italy. Swiss authorities stated the hackers had been behind cyberattacks throughout President Volodymyr Zelensky’s handle to the Swiss Parliament in 2023 and the Ukraine Peace Summit in 2024. Dutch officers linked the group to a latest assault throughout the NATO summit in The Hague.
Whereas most assaults brought about minimal disruption, investigators described the group’s decentralized mannequin and use of botnets as an escalating risk.
Europol stated investigations into NoName057(16)’s broader community stay ongoing.
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