The NoName hacker group has recently claimed responsibility for cyber attacks on websites belonging to the New Zealand government. In a message posted on their Telegram page, the group announced that they had successfully targeted the website of the Parliament of New Zealand, rendering it inaccessible. The Cyber Express team attempted to verify the claims and reached out to the Parliament for confirmation.
The message by the NoName hacker group not only took credit for the cyber attack but also criticized the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Chris Hipkins, for planning a visit to Ukraine during his trip to Europe. The group accused New Zealand of taking a ‘Russophobic course’ and highlighted the country’s imposition of sanctions against Russia, including a ban on Russian imports and sanctions against Russian financial institutions and the Russian Central Bank. Furthermore, they expressed anger over New Zealand’s increased training program for the Armed Forces of Ukraine until August 2023.
The NoName group has been targeting countries that have shown support for Ukraine in the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war. New Zealand, along with several other countries, imposed sanctions on Russia in response to their illegal invasion of Ukraine. These sanctions are in line with efforts from countries in the Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, and the United Kingdom. The regulations were updated on May 5th, 2023, to include individuals and entities that provided aid to Russia during the invasion.
Apart from the cyber attack on the Parliament of New Zealand, the NoName057(16) hacker group has also targeted other countries such as Lithuania, Poland, Norway, and Estonia. These attacks usually involve Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, which temporarily take down targeted websites. The group has claimed responsibility for nearly 850 attacks through the DDosia project in the past three months. They have even offered cryptocurrency rewards to hackers who successfully launch DDoS attacks on their targeted organizations.
The NoName hacker group operates through two Telegram channels, one in English and the other in the Russian language. On these channels, they not only claim responsibility for their attacks but also encourage other hackers to join their cause. They have been actively recruiting individuals to support their cybercrime against Ukraine and have even offered financial incentives to participants.
It is important to note that the information provided in this report is based on internal and external research conducted by The Cyber Express. While efforts have been made to ensure its accuracy, users must bear full responsibility for relying on this information. The Cyber Express assumes no liability for any consequences of using this information.
In conclusion, the NoName hacker group has targeted the websites of the New Zealand government, claiming responsibility for the cyber attack on the Parliament of New Zealand. Their motivation stems from New Zealand’s support of Ukraine and their condemnation of Russia’s actions. The group has been actively recruiting hackers and offering rewards for successful attacks, posing a significant threat to organizations targeted by them.